Elina Svitolina has announced that she and her husband, Gael Monfils, have separated. The world No 6 shared the news in an emotional Instagram post.
The 32-year-old Ukrainian wrote about the mental toll of Russia’s ongoing war against her country, describing sleepless nights and self-doubt. She said she had come to realize she needed to rediscover herself and could no longer do that within her 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.
“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. Gael listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget.”
Svitolina, a four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, married Monfils, a 40-year-old Frenchman and former world No 6, in 2021. They have a four-year-old daughter, Skai. “Skai will always come first,” Svitolina added. “Our marriage is ending, but our family is not.
“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.”
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The news comes only months after the pair teamed up to reach the semi-finals of the US Open Mixed Doubles Championship. They impressed all tournament until they met Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the last four. More recently, Svitolina played at the Wuhan Open, where she ran into an inspired Sonay Kartal, who won their quarter-final in three sets.
