One of tennis’ most beloved couples has split.
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils are ending their marriage of five years, the couple announced in a joint Instagram post on Monday.
Svitolina of Ukraine wrote the caption of the post and attributed the decision to the mental impact of Russia’s war in her native country. She stated it was 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,” she wrote. “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. 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. Gael has loved me through my greatest joys and my darkest moments, and I have loved him with all my heart.”
The 32-year-old added that the couple’s daughter Skai, who was born in October 2022, will “always come first” as the two more forward.
In the conclusion of her message, Svitolina emphasized to her fans and the world that “there is no one to blame” in their love story that is coming to an end.
“There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape,” she said. “We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal. Thank you for your love.”
Svitolina’s announcement comes months after the couple competed together for the first time at the U.S. Open in the tournament’s mixed doubles event.
She and Monfils, 40, reached the semifinals after taking down the world’s top-ranked doubles players, Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, in the quarterfinals.
She previously stepped away from tennis, ending her 2025 tennis season early, stating she was not in the right mental headspace to compete after Ukraine’s Bille Jean King Cup semifinal loss to Italy.
Since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022, Svitolina has been outspoken about her family at home and her foundation has raised over $1 million for young people affected by the war.
Similar to her fellow players on the WTA Tour, she has refused to shake the hands of Russian and Belarusian opponents after a match since the start of the war.
The Frenchman Monfils is on his farewell tennis tour and previously intended to retire at the Paris Masters in November. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) lists him as retired as of Oct. 5.
He was set to play this week as a wild card at the ATP 250 event in Lyon, but the tournament stated he pulled out for personal reasons.
Svitolina and Monfils got married in Switzerland in July 2021.
