"One more sleep & we're in NZ" - Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils' baby daughter Skai accompanies them for overseas travel to ASB Classic 2024

Elina Svitolina, Gael Monfils and their baby daughter Skai are headed toward Auckland, New Zealand for the 2024 ASB Classic.

Both Svitolina and Monfils will participate in the WTA and ATP events in Auckland, respectively. The women's competition will be held between January 1 and January 7, while the men's tournament will begin on January 8 and conclude on January 13.

The tennis couple will have their youngest cheerleader Skai by their side when they take the court in New Zealand. Svitolina recently took to Instagram to share a photograph of Skai resting in a stroller before heading to the airport for their scheduled flight.

"One more sleep and we are in NZ," Svitolina wrote.

Elina Svitolina's latest Instagram story.

Skai turned one in October 2023, and her father Gael Monfils marked the occasion with a special message for her on X (formerly Twitter).

"Every moment spent by your side reminds me how lucky I am to have you. Your smile, your laughter and even your tears gave a unique color to my daily life. For you, my little pearl, I wish all the happiness imaginable and all the wonders that life has to offer. Happy first birthday, my little princess," the Frenchman wrote (translated).

Elina Svitolina also expressed her love for Skai on the occasion.

"May your day be filled with laughter, joy, and lots of cake. You bring so much happiness to our lives, and we are grateful for every moment with you. Here's to a lifetime of love, happiness, and endless adventures. We love you more than words can express. Happy birthday, our precious angel," she wrote on Instagram.

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Gael Monfils: "I don’t want to stop but it is tougher to travel and make the sacrifices"

Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils recently stated that he has held "tough" discussions with his wife Elina Svitolina and agent Nicolas Lamperin about his future. The Frenchman then affirmed that he's enjoying tennis at the moment.

“The reality is I love the sport. I’ve had a couple of moments where I’ve had tough conversations with Nicolas and Elina. But I’m happy with everything I’ve done. I’m happy in my life, I don’t need more, I just want to enjoy this,” he told Stuff.

The 37-year-old added:

“I guess Nicolas and Elina have had good words to push me to go a bit more. Inside, I don’t really want to stop, but of course, it is tougher to travel and make the sacrifices. But I’ve still got this little fire and that helps me to keep going.”