French tennis player Gael Monfils, husband of Elina Svitolina, admitted that he has not yet mastered the Ukrainian language, but he is confident that their daughter Skye will speak it perfectly. The athlete said this in an interview with Tribuna.com, which is quoted by Industrial Zaporizhzhia.
Monfils noted that before meeting Svitolina, he knew little about Ukraine, but thanks to his wife, he discovered its culture, traditions, and cuisine. In particular, he visited Kyiv and Odessa, tasted borscht, and even learned a few Ukrainian words.
“Now we are a family, we have a daughter, and at home we combine cultures. This is important for both of us,” the tennis player shared.
Despite the difficult situation in Ukraine due to Russian aggression, Svitolina has already visited her homeland several times, although she did it without her husband and child. Monfils admitted that it is not easy for him, but he understands how important Ukraine’s support is for his wife.
“For me, she is a real hero. I can’t go with her because it’s dangerous, but I always support her. My role is to be there and help her,” the athlete emphasized.
He also said that at first he studied Russian, but later Elina decided to switch to Ukrainian, and now he has to learn a new language almost from scratch.
“I already know a few words, for example, ‘Good day!’, but it’s difficult to learn. The main thing is that my daughter will speak perfect Ukrainian, and I’m very proud of that,” Monfils said.
In addition to words of support, the French tennis player is also involved in helping Ukraine. Even before the war, he was transferring funds for every ace he made, and last year he and Elina organized a fundraiser for the Ukrainian fund before the US Open.
“I see how much effort my wife puts into helping Ukraine, and I also try to support her in this,” Monfils concluded.
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