News of Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils’ separation has dominated headlines in the tennis world this week, and new details about the split have now emerged.
Svitolina announced on Monday that her marriage with Monfils would be ending, with the Ukrainian star highlighting the impact of the war in her home country as a factor.
The WTA world No 6 then released a second statement on Tuesday to “clarify” her initial post.
French sports newspaper L’Equipe has since reported that Svitolina informed Monfils of her intention to divorce “over the telephone” when the Frenchman was at home in Dubai with their daughter Skai.
Svitolina and Monfils got married in the summer of 2021, having started dating in late 2018 before making t heir relationship public in 2019. In October 2022, the two tennis stars welcomed the birth of their daughter.
The news of the separation came shortly after Monfils’ surprise decision to retire from tennis earlier than he had planned.
Last week, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) added Monfils to its ‘retired’ list and confirmed the 40-year-old had removed himself from the sport’s anti-doping protocols — meaning he is no longer eligible to enter tournaments.
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The head of communication at the ITIA told L’Equipe: “He (Monfils) informed us about it; he is now considered retired and is no longer authorised to participate in tournaments.
“Technically, he would need to undergo six months of out-of-competition testing before being able to return to the competition. Just like Serena Williams did.”
In October last year, Monfils revealed that 2026 would be the final season of his career and shared his plan to retire at this year’s Paris Masters.
Monfils had also received a wildcard to compete at this week’s ATP 250 event in Lyon, but organisers confirmed last week that the former world No 6 had been removed from the entry list for “personal reasons.”
The hugely popular Frenchman has not spoken about his separation from Svitolina or his unexpected retirement.
In an article written for L’Equipe, journalist Franck Ramella reported that Monfils’ early retirement was a result of his split with Svitolina.
“When Monfils learned the news, it hit him like a ton of bricks, and tennis, which he had often experienced as a kind of gentle madness, suddenly lost all meaning,” Ramella wrote (translated from French).
“He was no longer able to play. Hence his abrupt decision to remove himself from the anti-doping lists on October 5th.”
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