Tennis stars Elina Svitolina, Gaël Monfils announce separation
Tennis players Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils have called it quits after five years of being married.
In a post on Instagram, Svitolina explained that the war in Ukraine has taken a toll on her mental health, which ultimately led to the end of her marriage to Monfils.
“What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside,” the women's world no. 6 wrote.
She then thanked the French athlete for standing by her during the most difficult moments and respected her choice.
“Gaël saw all of it; he never let go of my hand. We fought through this together for a long time, with everything we had, but some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you,” she continued.
Svitolina also said she wanted to find herself outside their marriage and stressed that no one is to blame for their split.
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Furthermore, she clarified that they will still co-parent their four-year-old daughter, Skai.
“Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not,” Svitolina noted, asking for kindness and privacy while they heal.
The emotional announcement coincides with Monfils, who ranked world no. 6 during the height of his career, seemingly retiring quietly. He previously stated that the 2026 season is supposed to be his final year, with a farewell expected at the Paris Masters later this month.
However, he was listed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency as inactive and retired last week, though Monfils has not publicly confirmed his retirement.
The tennis power couple last played together in the US Open Mixed Doubles, reaching the semi-finals before bowing out to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Svitolina and Monfils started dating between 2018 and 2019 and tied the knot in 2021.
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