By Adegboyega Adeleye
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has announced her separation from her husband and fellow tennis star Gaël Monfils, saying the emotional toll of Russia’s war on Ukraine left her feeling she was “slowly losing” herself.
Svitolina, 32, shared the news in an emotional Instagram statement on Monday, describing sleepless nights, self-doubt and the difficulty of deciding to end their marriage. She said Monfils had supported her through the hardest moments, but she had come to realise she needed to find her way back to herself outside the marriage.
“This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” she wrote.
“Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside. Last year, I told you I needed to step away from the court because I wasn’t in the right emotional space. Today, I want to open up a little more. What you didn’t see were the sleepless nights, the doubts, and the feeling of slowly losing myself.
“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.
“With time, I came to understand that I need to find my way back to myself and that I cannot do that within our marriage. 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. Gaël listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget.
Svitolina stressed that the separation was not the result of blame or a lack of love. She described it as a painful decision made after the couple had tried to face her struggles together, and said Monfils had respected what she needed.
“Gaël has loved me through my greatest joys and my darkest moments, and I have loved him with all my heart. Together, we built a beautiful life, and we were given the most precious gift of all, our daughter, Skai.
“Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. We will always be her parents, side by side, at every step of her life.
“Please know that there is no one to blame here. There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape.
“We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal. “Thank you for your love.”
Svitolina and Monfils married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai. They also partnered in the US Open mixed doubles earlier this year, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Svitolina, a four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, most recently competed at the Wuhan Open, where Britain’s Sonay Kartal beat her in a three-set quarter-final. Monfils, 40, is a former world No 6.
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