"This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share", Svitolina began her Instagram post. The Ukrainian tennis player revealed that the conflict in her homeland profoundly affected her mental well-being, leading to sleepless nights, doubts, and a feeling of gradually losing herself.
Svitolina recalled having to temporarily withdraw from the court last year due to not being in a suitable emotional state. Behind that decision lay difficulties she rarely made public, even though she often spoke about the significance of her homeland to her.
According to the 32-year-old tennis player, Monfils witnessed and supported her throughout that challenging period. While they both tried to overcome it together, she gradually realized she needed a different path.
"Over time, I understood that I needed to find my way back to myself, and I couldn't do that within our marriage", Svitolina wrote. "That is the hardest truth to face, and also the most difficult thing I have ever had to say to the person I love".
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Gael Monfils (right) and Elina Svitolina during the mixed doubles semifinals against Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli at the US Open, Flushing Meadows tennis complex, New York, US on 26/8/2026. Photo: Reuters
She expressed appreciation for how Monfils received the decision: "Gael listened. He respected what I needed with a strength and compassion I will never forget".
Svitolina clarified that no one is to blame for their separation. She described it as the story of two people who once loved each other deeply, but whose relationship has now transformed into a different form. Both hope for understanding and private space to navigate this period.
Svitolina and Monfils married in 7/2021, welcoming their daughter Skai in 10/2022. In the announcement, the Ukrainian tennis player affirmed that their 4-year-old daughter remains their utmost priority.
"Our marriage has ended, but our family has not", she wrote. "We will always be her parents, standing by her through every step of her life".
The announcement came just months after they competed together in the mixed doubles event at the US Open. Svitolina and Monfils reached the semifinals, then lost to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. They had often appeared in the stands to support each other, and also shared their family life with fans.
On the court, Svitolina is currently ranked sixth in the world and has reached the Grand Slam semifinals four times. Last week, she exited the Wuhan Open quarterfinals after losing to Sonay Kartal, who then lost to Maja Chwalinska in the final.
Meanwhile, Gael Monfils, 40, previously held the world number six ATP ranking. According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the French player has been recorded as retired, despite previously planning to retire at the Paris Masters in November. His career cessation and the announcement of his marriage ending occurred close together, but there is no basis to confirm the two decisions are related.
Vy Anh
