Elina Svitolina Says Ukraine War’s Toll Led to Monfils Separation

What changed

Elina Svitolina says her marriage to Gaël Monfils is ending because of the emotional toll Russia’s war in Ukraine has taken on her. The couple married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai; Svitolina said their marriage is ending, but their family is not.

Why it matters

This is a public account of war reaching far beyond headlines and battlefields. Svitolina, 32 and ranked sixth in the world, said the conflict left her with sleepless nights, doubts and a feeling of losing herself. She said she could not find her way back to herself within the marriage.

Monfils, 40, listened and respected what she needed, she said. That detail matters: Svitolina is describing a separation not as a failure of affection, but as an attempt to confront damage she feels has happened inside her.

Their daughter comes first, Svitolina said. The practical arrangements for separation and parenting have not been reported, but her public message sets out the family principle clearly: the marriage is changing; the parental bond is not.

The announcement also arrives as Monfils moves away from professional tennis. He is listed as retired and is preparing to begin a career in finance, while his possible appearance at next month’s Paris Masters remains unconfirmed.