Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina announce separation as Ukrainian tennis star opens up about the toll of Russia’s war on her life, marriage and family

Elina Svitolina, Ukraine’s star tennis player, has openly spoken about how emotionally taxing it is to watch Russia wage a war against her nation, saying that its impact on her personal life has been even more serious than what she has talked about before. World number six has ended her marriage with France’s star tennis player Gaël Monfils, explaining that she has to find herself anew without her husband. In her recent Instagram story, Svitolina expressed that she had experienced a lot of sleepless nights and a lack of self-confidence.

In the video posted by her, the tennis player said that she was highly affected by the ongoing war, and at a point she lost her way back into marriage.

“This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” Svitolina wrote.


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Svitolina and Monfils tied the knot in 2021 and have one child – a girl Skai who is four years old now. Despite the divorce, it is evident that Svitolina is very clear about their commitment to their daughter.

This information is also quite unique since it sheds light on the emotional load of an athlete whose work life continued despite the war in her homeland.

Svitolina opens up about the war’s personal impact

Svitolina has become one of the most well-known representatives of Ukraine during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Although she has previously expressed her thoughts concerning her country and its people, the recent one has shown the other side of her story.

She stated that she had never really talked about how much the war affected her psychologically. However, gradually she began to realize that she needed to get back to herself, which was impossible for her to do being in her marriage.

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She did not present her divorce as an outcome of one particular event or a conflict. She rather talked about a realization she had gone through.

“It is the hardest truth I have ever had to face and the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love,” she wrote.

Svitolina also acknowledged Monfils’ response to her decision, saying he had listened to her and respected what she needed with a strength and grace she would never forget.

The statement offered little detail about the private circumstances surrounding their separation, and neither partner was identified as being at fault. Svitolina’s emphasis was on the emotional difficulty of the decision and her need to find a way forward.

Why her separation from Gaël Monfils is a major tennis story

The marriage of Svitolina and Monfils is nothing new, having already gained popularity both in terms of their success on court as well as their relationship outside the game of tennis.

Svitolina is not only a four-time Grand Slam semifinalist but has also achieved considerable success in the sport, ranking her among the most successful female tennis players in the world. As for Monfils, who is now 40 years old, the player has achieved significant success, being previously ranked No. 6 in the world and having won 13 tournaments in his career.

The marriage of these two players took place under the backdrop of hard work and high expectations. However, their latest statement reveals that the problems in their relationship cannot be assessed through numbers or success.

She did not suggest that the couple’s sporting careers were responsible for the separation. Neither did she give any information regarding how long they had been thinking about it.

On the contrary, her explanation revolved around the changes which she feels that she needs to undertake. The lack of accusations and recrimination was also evident, especially because of the level of attention the couple gets from tennis enthusiasts.

Their daughter Skai remains priority

Despite confirming that their marriage is ending, Svitolina stressed that the couple’s family bond would continue through their responsibilities as parents.

“Skai will always come first,” she wrote, adding that while their marriage was ending, their family was not.

The couple’s daughter is four years old, and Svitolina made clear that protecting her place in both parents’ lives would remain central to their decisions. She also asked the public to understand that the separation was not about assigning blame.

“There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape,” she wrote.

The message set a clear boundary around the announcement: the couple were sharing a difficult personal decision, not inviting speculation about who was responsible.

Meanwhile, Monfils’ professional future has also drawn attention. His retirement had been expected to follow a farewell appearance at the Paris Masters, which begins on October 31.

However, reports that he had appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s list of retired players raised questions about whether his departure from the sport had come earlier than anticipated.

The retirement development is separate from Svitolina’s announcement, and no direct connection between the two has been established.

For now, Svitolina’s message is primarily about a personal transition. She has spoken candidly about the emotional effects of the war and the difficult process of deciding what she needs for herself, while making clear that her daughter’s well-being will remain at the centre of family life.