ATP and WTA tennis: Elina Svitolina announces end of Monfils marriage

Elina Svitolina has announced that her marriage to French tennis player Gaël Monfils is ending, bringing a major personal change to one of the most visible couples in international tennis. The Ukrainian player shared the news on Instagram on Monday, 19 October 2026, while explaining that the war in Ukraine had deeply affected her mental health and personal balance.

Svitolina, 32, described the announcement as the most difficult message she had ever shared. She wrote that the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 had brought sleepless nights, doubts and a feeling that she was gradually losing herself. She had previously said that she needed to step away from tennis because she was not in the right state of mind, but said she was now ready to explain more about what she had been experiencing.

The former world No. 3 said she had reached a point where she needed to find herself again and rebuild her identity. She said she had understood that she could not do that within the marriage. Svitolina did not blame Monfils or herself for the separation. “Gaël saw everything. He never let go of my hand,” she wrote, adding that they had fought together for a long time. She also said that some personal battles had to be faced from within, regardless of the strength of the love between two people.

The couple’s relationship began in 2018 and became a regular feature of tennis’s public life, including through their joint G.E.M.S. Life social-media account. They announced their engagement several months before marrying in Geneva, Switzerland, on 16 July 2021. Their relationship had also included an earlier separation before the marriage, according to the account accompanying Svitolina’s announcement.

Their daughter, Skaï, was born on 15 October 2022. Both players announced her arrival on social media while continuing to compete on the professional circuits. Svitolina made clear that the end of the marriage would not end their shared responsibilities as parents. “Our marriage is coming to an end, but our family is not,” she wrote. She said Skaï would always come first and that they would remain her parents, side by side, throughout her life.

The announcement comes as Monfils’ playing career has also reached a decisive point. The Frenchman, born in Paris on 1 September 1986, has been officially listed as retired by the International Tennis Integrity Agency since 5 October 2026. He had not played competitively since 3 September, when he lost to Learner Tien in the second round of the US Open. He had been expected to appear at the Lyon tournament before making a final appearance at the Paris Masters, but those plans did not take place.

Monfils leaves the circuit as a former world No. 6 and a player with multiple ATP titles. His best Grand Slam results included a semi-final at Roland-Garros in 2008 and another at the US Open in 2016. Svitolina has also built a distinguished record. She won the WTA Finals in 2018 and reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2019, as well as the semi-finals of the US Open in 2019 and 2023.

The separation therefore comes at the intersection of two significant transitions. Svitolina remains an active player while continuing to carry the personal effects of a war that has shaped her recent life and career. Monfils has moved into retirement after more than a decade among the sport’s leading men. Their public profile was formed through tennis, but Svitolina’s message placed their daughter and their family relationship above the end of the marriage. The next stage for both players will involve separate personal paths while maintaining their commitment to Skaï.