The suffering caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has been immeasurable and its impact on Elina Svitolina evidently has weighed heavily on the Ukrainian tennis star.
In a joint post on Instagram on Monday, Svitolina announced that she and fellow tennis star Gael Monfils are ending their marriage after five years, with the emotional distress caused by the war in her home country a large reason for the split.
In the caption of a post featuring a photo of the two athletes embracing, Svitolina explained the decision and her reasoning behind the divorce.
“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. Gaël has loved me through my greatest joys and my darkest moments, and I have loved him with all my heart.”
How long have Svitolina and Monfils been married?
Svitolina and Monfils have been married since July 2021, when they tied the knot in Switzerland. The couple have a daughter together, four-year-old Skai, who they say “will always come first” despite their split.
“Together, we built a beautiful life, and we were given the most precious gift of all, our daughter, Skai,” Svitolina continued. “Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. We will always be her parents, side by side, at every step of her life.”
The post added that “there is no one to blame” for the breakup while asking for space.
“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,” Svitolina wrote. “We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal.”
How have the couple fared on the tennis court?
The 32-year-old Svitolina is currently ranked No. 7 in the world by the WTA, while Monfils, 40, recently retired from the sport as a professional. He achieved his highest ATP ranking of No. 6 in the world back in 2016.
Svitolina and Monfils reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open this year in mixed pairs, taking down the world’s top-ranked pairing of Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten in the quarterfinals before losing in the semis. It was the first time that Svitolina and Monfils had competed as a pair.
The Ukrainian native previously stepped away from tennis in 2025, ending her season early while stating she was not in the right mental headspace to compete.