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Svitolina and Monfils separate after five years, citing war's mental toll

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Elina Svitolina at Sports Festival 2026, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Image credit: Nuță Lucian · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In brief

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina announced on October 19, 2026 that she and husband Gaël Monfils are separating after five years of marriage. In an Instagram statement, the world No. 6 said Russia's war against Ukraine had worn her down emotionally and that she needed to find her way back to herself outside the marriage, adding that their daughter would remain her priority going forward.

Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian tennis player ranked world No. 6, announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that she is separating from her husband, retired French player Gaël Monfils, after five years of marriage. She described the announcement, posted as a written statement on Instagram, as the hardest news she has had to share, according to Sky Sports.

Svitolina, 32, and Monfils, 40, met in 2018 and married in July 2021, Ubitennis reported. They have a daughter, Skai, born in October 2022. In her statement, Svitolina said the decision to separate was mutual and that neither of them was to blame for the split.

What Svitolina said about the war

Svitolina, who has repeatedly spoken about the emotional strain of Russia's invasion of Ukraine since it began in February 2022, wrote that she had rarely discussed the war's impact on her, according to Sky Sports. She described difficulty sleeping, self-doubt and a sense of gradually losing herself.

I need to find my way back to myself, and that I cannot do that within our marriage.

— Elina Svitolina, Instagram statement, October 19, 2026

She added that the struggle was ultimately hers to resolve, saying that some internal battles cannot be won through another person's love, Ubitennis reported. According to Sky Sports, she said Monfils had been supportive and respectful of her needs throughout the process.

Their daughter and co-parenting

Svitolina said the end of the marriage does not mean the end of the family unit. The News International reported she wrote that she and Monfils will continue to be Skai's parents together at every stage of her life, and that their marriage is ending but their family is not.

Timing: days after Monfils' retirement

The announcement came days after Monfils' tennis career officially ended. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) listed his retirement date as October 5, 2026, and confirmed the status on October 14, 2026, ITIA communications director Adrian Bassett told TennisNow. Monfils had planned to play on at the Lyon tournament and the Rolex Paris Masters, which begins October 31, as a farewell before stepping away, but became ineligible to compete once the retirement was formally registered, TennisNow and The News International reported.

Key dates in the Svitolina–Monfils relationship
EventDate
Couple meet2018
MarriageJuly 2021
Daughter Skai bornOctober 2022
Monfils' ITIA retirement dateOctober 5, 2026
Retirement officially confirmedOctober 14, 2026
Separation announcedOctober 19, 2026

Background: a tennis power couple

Svitolina and Monfils were among the sport's most prominent couples, with Svitolina currently ranked world No. 6 and Monfils having previously reached the same ranking during his career.

Neither player has commented further publicly beyond Svitolina's statement as of October 19, 2026. Svitolina asked for privacy for her family during the process, Ubitennis reported.

Questions

When did Elina Svitolina announce her separation from Gaël Monfils?
She announced it on October 19, 2026, in a written statement posted to Instagram, as reported by Sky Sports.
How long were Svitolina and Monfils married?
They married in July 2021, meeting the announcement's five-year marriage mark, according to Ubitennis.
Why did Svitolina say the marriage is ending?
She said she needed to find her way back to herself and could not do so within the marriage, citing the emotional toll of Russia's war against Ukraine, including sleepless nights and self-doubt, per Sky Sports and Ubitennis.
Do Svitolina and Monfils have children?
They have one daughter, Skai, born in October 2022, according to Ubitennis. Svitolina said she and Monfils will continue co-parenting Skai together.
Had Gaël Monfils already retired from tennis when the separation was announced?
Yes. The ITIA listed his retirement date as October 5, 2026, and confirmed it on October 14, 2026, according to TennisNow, days before Svitolina's announcement.

Sources

  1. Sky Sports — Elina Svitolina announces 'difficult' separation from husband Gael Monfils after five years of marriage
  2. Ubitennis — Elina Svitolina Announces Shock Split From Gael Monfils Days After The Frenchman Retires
  3. The News International — Elina Svitolina, Gael Monfils announce separation: 'No one to blame here'
  4. TennisNow — ITIA: Gael Monfils is Officially Retired

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