Tennis power couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils to divorce
Tennis power couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils to divorce
Sonia TwiggMon, October 19, 2026 at 9:14 AM UTC
0
After eight years together, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils have announced their divorce - Getty Images/Garrett Ellwood
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, the much-heralded tennis power couple, have announced that they are to divorce.
The pair announced their marriage has come to an end via a statement on their respective Instagram profiles, with Svitolina citing a need to “find a way back to myself” after being affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Frenchman Monfils ended his playing career on October 5th rather than take part in expected farewells in Lyon and at the Paris Masters. Instead his final match was a second-round defeat at the US Open, the same tournament he and Svitolina took part in the mixed doubles together where they reached the semi-finals.
Svitolina and Monfils have been married for more than five years, having first started dating in 2018. Together they have a daughter, Skai, who was born in 2022.
Svitolina explained how her mental health struggles from the war in Ukraine have impacted their relationship. She had previously stepped away from the sport because of her mental health and the padel club that she co-owns in Kyiv was hit by a Russian attack in September.
In a statement on Instagram, Svitolina said: “This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share.
“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.
Advertisement
“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.
“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.”
Svitolina has consistently spoken out against the war in her homeland and refuses to shake hands with any Russian or Belarusian opponent after matches. She is also an ambassador for United24, the fundraising programme of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.
Svitolina has been one of tennis’s most prolific players who have returned after having a child, breaking into the world’s top 10 and earlier this year won her fifth WTA 1000 title in Rome.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
