Gael Monfils recognises that his comeback in 2023 was not even the most impressive in his household. At 37, the Frenchman became the oldest winner on the ATP Tour since Roger Federer when he lifted the title in Stockholm in October. And, if few players in tennis could match his longevity as he approaches his 20th year as a professional, there are even fewer who come close to his enduring popularity and status as one of the sport’s great entertainers.
If becoming a father changed him and sparked a renaissance, the birth of his daughter Skai also led to what was actually the greatest comeback staged in tennis this year: that of Elina Svitolina, Monfils’ wife and the mother of his first child, returning from giving birth and reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in July. Svitolina was named the WTA’s comeback player of the year; Monfils could yet win the equivalent award handed out by the ATP.
