Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina announced on Monday that she has separated from her husband, French player Gaël Monfils, after five years of marriage, saying Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken a significant mental toll on her.
In an Instagram post, the 32-year-old said sleepless nights and self-doubt had forced her to confront how the war had affected her personally and recognize her need to rediscover herself.
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“Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside,” Svitolina wrote.
“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.”
She described the decision as the most difficult she had ever faced, adding that Monfils had responded with understanding.
“Gaël listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget,” she wrote.
Svitolina, currently the world No. 6 and a four-time Grand Slam semifinalist, married Monfils in July 2021. The couple has a four-year-old daughter, Skai.
“Our marriage is ending, but our family is not,” Svitolina said, adding that their daughter would always come first.
“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.”
The announcement comes as Monfils appears to have brought forward his retirement from professional tennis. The 40-year-old Frenchman, a former world No. 6 who won 13 career titles, had been expected to make a farewell appearance at the Paris Masters, which begins on Oct. 31.
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Monfils had also received a wildcard for this week’s ATP 250 tournament in Lyon, but organizers said he had withdrawn for personal reasons.
Last week, Monfils appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s list of retired players, suggesting his departure from the sport had come earlier than anticipated.
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