Love match continues for Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils at Wimbledon

"When it’s HER turn to choose a restaurant and she goes for - NO sugar, NO dairy, NO gluten, NO fried food, NON GMO, NO garlic, NO unhealthy methods of cooking, organic restaurant," posted Gael Monfils on Instagram of his then-girlfriend-now-wife, Elina Svitolina.

Only another athlete could smile wryly at this list of dietary requirements on a night out, presumably.

Sure enough, the pair in question are professional tennis players, headed to the third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon, and about to give the restaurants of south-west London the challenge of their lives.

The iconic grass-court tournament takes place from 3-16 July and Elina and Gael will be hoping to improve on their best results so far on the pristine lawns of The All-England Club – the fourth round for the Frenchman in 2018 and semi-final for the Ukrainian the following year.

Along for the ride at the 2023 edition will be eight-month-old daughter, Skai, who made her Instagram debut in October courtesy of an account set up by her parents in January 2019.

GEMS Life – G for Gael and E for Elina – documented the burgeoning relationship of the pair, from the early days of dating to marriage to first child – and fans were invited along for the ride with the couple sharing behind-the-scenes of their lives both on and off the court.

The well-documented journey of GEMS life had begun, with their lifestyle perhaps sometimes more relatable than fans might think.

Doubles court

The first post, which made the pair instagram official, revealed the coy-looking duo in a montage of clips in different scenarios – from tennis court practice to date night to playing Jenga to something as innocuous strolling down the road.

When Elina is swept off her feet by Gael during a walk in a winter snowfall, she posted that she was thinking: "someone is being romantic for once". Next minute, Elina is squealing with shock after being dumped in a snow-pile by a giggling Gael.

On one of the many flights the pair take as professional athletes, Elina is talking to camera when Gael leans over from an adjacent seat, pulls back the elastic from her eye mask, and lets it go with a stinging snap. A half pained, half amused Elina swears solidly, before grimacing at the camera, eyes watering.

Playfulness in relationships we can all relate to, but having Roger Federer pop up in your videos, not so much.

The eight-time Wimbledon champion joined the love-birds in a playful accuracy game of hit-the-ball-at-your-partner-but-miss, when the 20-time Grand Slam winner accidentally hit Gael.

Elina couldn't help but laugh, no doubt because not only had she got one back on her playful beau but with the added kudos of it being via one of the greatest athletes of all time... albeit accidentally.

Love match

By April 2021 the pair were engaged, and three months later, married. Three days after exchanging vows, the newlyweds headed to Japan for their honeymoon, where sightseeing included Elina picking up a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with third place in the women's singles competition.

Putting his own disappointment aside after exiting in round one, Gael was the perfect husband captioning a post of a photo of the pair holding his wife's medal: "When your wifey brings Bronze medal #ProudHusband".

Being part of a competitive twosome, riding out the ups and downs of results on tour and balancing the need for their own necessarily selfish needs with that of a partner on the same journey, takes some managing.

Elina's best results so far are two semi-final berths in 2019 at both the US Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam tournaments. Monfils, 36, replicates that feat with a top-four place at the 2008 French Open and 2016 US Open.

But when both play the tennis of their lives, there can't be a much better after-work catch-up.

At the 2023 Roland Garros tournament in Paris in June, the pair secured memorable wins in their first Grand Slam back as parents.

Gael won an extraordinary five-set match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez in the first round, with the crowd roaring on their man to a 3-6 6-3 7-5 1-6 7-5 epic, despite suffering cramp.

Unfortunately, Gael then had to pull out of the next match after being unable to recover in time but that meant he could watch Elina progress to the quarter finals in the first Grand Slam back since giving birth.

A cracking match against Daria Kasatkina, which included eight breaks of serve in a wild second set, the highlight of a 6-4 7-6 win for the Ukrainian.

"We try to go through tough moments and produce moments like I had today and like yesterday as well," said Elina before referencing her partner's game: "Gael fought his heart out and played an unbelievable match."

The roar of support from the French crowd for both – but especially the home side's Gael – give an indication what the pair can expect at Paris 2024 in 13 months' time.

Break point

Of course, in any relationship there are challenging outside factors and life events to contend with, but the invasion of Elina's beloved homeland proves a constant worry with the safety of family and friends never far from her thoughts.

"I speak with (my grandmother) as much time as I can," Elina told Olympics.com in May 2022. "She's in Odessa right now. There are lots of explosions going on. And she's been in the basements most of the time. So yeah, hopefully, she's safe. I have been keeping contact as much as I can, but it's not always possible. So, yeah, just cross my fingers and pray that everything is fine out there."

Talking with other Ukrainian tennis players has united them on tour, but it is Gael to whom Elina is most grateful.

"He has been there every step of the way. He is a huge support for me. Obviously, he's seeing me every single day, not in the best moods. There have been ups and downs, so I'm really thankful for the support that he's been giving me. I know that it's also tough for him to see me in a bad mood, being sad. And I understand that sometimes can be tough for him, but I really appreciate his love and all the support that he's been giving me."

The pair help the situation the best way they know how – through tennis. The Elina Svitolina Foundation, whose philosophy is "to change lives through tennis", was founded before the invasion, but the premise remains the same. Initiatives include tennis events involving kids from all over the region, with 300 Ukrainian children attending a tournament in February, which Elina described as, "a day that will remain in our hearts forever".

"I think it’s very important to create such activities and emotionally support the future generations, give them encouragement and faith in these challenging times," said Elina, who is trying to bring to these kids a quote she lives by herself:

"Happiness lives inside of the smallest moments."