Sometimes love simply isn’t enough. Or at least that is what Elina Svitolina tried to explain this morning when she announced on social media that her marriage to former tennis player Gaël Monfils had come to an end.
The current world No. 6 spoke about the emotional scars left by the war in Ukraine and how that internal struggle ultimately drove apart a couple who began their relationship in 2021.
“Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside. 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”, that is how Svitolina begins a lengthy post explaining the reasons behind the end of her marriage to Monfils.
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There was no infidelity, no fighting. Just a need for the former world No. 3 to rediscover herself after the most emotionally draining period of her life: “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.”
Since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, Svitolina has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Ukrainian cause on tour. Beyond refusing to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players after matches, the 2018 WTA Finals champion has donated her prize money to the Ukrainian army, as well as funded programmes to help children and reconstruction projects.
“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; Our marriage is ending, but our family is not.”, she said in the statement.
Monfils had made headlines less than a week earlier when news emerged of his early retirement from tennis. The former world No. 6 had been due to end his career at the Paris Masters 1000 in November, but unexpectedly appeared as an inactive player in the records of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The Frenchman, a three-time ATP 500 champion, offered no explanation for his decision, but the news now puts things into perspective. His second-round defeat at the US Open will go down as the final official match of his career.
News of the couple’s separation sent shockwaves through the tennis world. Naomi Osaka, Alizé Cornet, Fabio Fognini and Marta Kostyuk were among the players who offered their support in the comments section of Svitolina’s post.
