Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has announced the end of her marriage to French former player Gaël Monfils after eight years together, attributing the decision to the personal toll of the war in her home country and her need to rediscover herself.
In an emotional statement posted on her personal Instagram account on Monday, October 19, the 32-year-old described the announcement as “the hardest thing I have ever had to share.” The message accompanied a black-and-white photograph of the couple, with Monfils resting his head on her shoulder.
A Personal Struggle Rooted in War
Svitolina, who has been among the most prominent Ukrainian voices in sport since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, spoke candidly about the internal weight she has carried.
“I have had sleepless nights, doubts and the feeling of slowly losing myself,” she wrote. “Gaël saw everything and never let go of my hand. With time, I understood that I had to find myself, and that I could not do it within our marriage.”
She stressed that the decision came from a place of respect rather than conflict. “He listened. He respected my needs with a strength and grace I will never forget,” she added, describing Monfils as someone she “loves deeply.”
Monfils’ Quiet Withdrawal
The announcement helps explain the Frenchman’s discreet exit from the tennis circuit on October 5, when he withdrew from competition citing “personal reasons” without further comment. The 40-year-old reposted Svitolina’s statement on his own account without adding any words of his own.
From Romance to Family
The pair first met at the 2018 Australian Open, though Svitolina was in a relationship at the time. They went public with their romance a year later in Paris and went on to document their life together through a shared Instagram account, “G.E.M.S Life,” offering fans a warm and often humorous glimpse of their world both on and off the court.
Their relationship weathered earlier turbulence: the couple separated once in 2021 before announcing their engagement two months later. They married and welcomed a daughter, Skaï, now four years old.
Monfils, who has battled injuries and doubts in recent seasons, paid a tearful tribute to his wife during his farewell at Roland-Garros in May 2026, crediting her with having “loved” and “lifted” him. The two appeared together one last time on court in the mixed doubles at the US Open last summer, falling in the semifinals.
‘Our Marriage Is Over, but Not Our Family’
Despite the separation, Svitolina was clear that their bond as parents endures.
“Our marriage is over, but not our family,” she wrote. “We will always be her parents side by side, at every stage of her life.”
The split marks the closing of a chapter for one of tennis’ most admired couples, even as Svitolina continues to compete while carrying the emotional burden of a war that, as she said earlier this year, “is part of me — I cannot disconnect.”
