Svitolina confirms her split from Monfils led to his early retirement

Split announced on Instagram

On Monday, 19 October, Elina Svitolina, the world No 6, announced on Instagram that she was separating from Gaël Monfils after five years of marriage. The 32-year-old Ukrainian linked her decision to the mental toll of Russia's ongoing war against her country, describing sleepless nights and doubts. The couple married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai. Monfils, 40, is a former world No 6 whose career has now ended earlier than planned. The split was also confirmed in a joint communiqué, and it drew mixed reactions from fans, some of whom expressed disappointment while others were left with questions.

A second post to explain

On Tuesday, 20 October, Svitolina published a follow-up, saying not everyone, especially her international audience, had understood what she meant. She wrote that her first message had shared only one of the reasons behind her decision, and that the truth was far more complicated. Svitolina said that living through the war for more than four and a half years had changed her values and priorities. She explained her position with this passage:

It's not always possible to explain everything behind such personal and difficult decisions in a single post. And honestly, some things are simply too personal to share publicly.

She stressed that reaching the decision had been anything but easy. She also wrote that at some point she simply realised she no longer wanted to live a life that did not make her happy.

Monfils' retirement

Svitolina confirmed in the second post that Monfils made the decision to stop playing because of their separation. She said his career ended abruptly for that reason.

Gael's career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation.

Monfils had been expected to end his career at the Paris Masters in November, but he appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency's inactive list earlier in October. His last singles match came in September, a second-round defeat to Learner Tien at the US Open. Svitolina wrote that her husband had faced many accusations he did not deserve, which is why the couple released a joint statement.

Privacy, parenting and reactions

Svitolina said some parts of the separation were too private to share publicly and that no one was to blame. Both partners wanted their statements to stop accusations being aimed at Monfils, and both asked for kindness and space as they recover. The couple had been regular presences in each other's player boxes and played mixed doubles together at the US Open in September. They said they will remain parents together to their daughter, Skai, at every step of her life.