One of women’s tennis’ most consistent competitors, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, has made a stunning personal announcement: she and husband Gaël Monfils, the retired French professional tennis player, are ending their four-year marriage. The 32-year-old world No. 6 attributed the difficult decision to the profound emotional toll that the ongoing full-scale war in her home country has taken on her mental well-being.
In a vulnerable, heartfelt public post shared to her Instagram channel, Svitolina opened up about the private inner turmoil she has carried since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a struggle that most of her global fanbase never witnessed. “This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” she wrote in the post. “I need to find my way back to myself, and I have come to understand I cannot do that while remaining in our marriage.”
Svitolina, a four-time Grand Slam singles semi-finalist who paired with Monfils to reach the mixed doubles semi-finals at the 2025 US Open earlier this year, was careful to praise her former partner for his empathy through her struggle. She noted that Monfils, 40, listened to her needs and accepted her decision with a level of grace and strength she will always remember.
“Some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you,” Svitolina reflected. She added that ending her marriage to the man she loves has been the hardest choice she has ever had to make. While the world has long understood how deeply Ukraine’s fate matters to her, a vocal advocate for her country throughout the conflict, few saw the private toll: the repeated sleepless nights, the steady creep of self-doubt, and the slow, painful feeling of losing touch with her core self.
The high-profile athletic couple tied the knot in 2021 and share one child together: four-year-old daughter Skai. Svitolina emphasized that her daughter will always remain her top priority, and stressed that the end of her romantic relationship with Monfils does not mean the end of their family unit. “Our marriage is ending, but our family is not,” she wrote.