Tennis' Svitolina, Monfils say Russia-Ukraine war led to divorce

Tennis stars Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina married in 2021. File Photo by James Ross/EPAOct. 19 (UPI) -- Tennis stars Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils announced Monday that emotional tolls from the Russia-Ukraine war led to the end of their marriage.

>The couple, who were wed in 2021 and welcomed daughter Skai in 2022, made the announcement on Instagram, Facebook and X.

>"Please know that there is no one to blame here," Svitolina wrote on the social media post, which Monfils shared on his personal platforms.

>"There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape. We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal."

>Svitolina, 32, said she ended her 2025 season early because she wasn't "in the right emotional space." The Ukrainian returned in January and won two singles titles in 2026. She also reached the 2026 Australian Open semifinals.

>Monfils, 40, announced earlier this year that the 2026 campaign would be his final season. The Frenchman ranked a career-best No. 6 in 2016. He was a two-time Grand Slam singles semifinalist.

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>A post shared by SVITO (@elisvitolina)

"Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me," Svitolina wrote. "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.

>"What you didn't see were the sleepless nights, the doubts and the feeling of slowly losing myself. Gael 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. Gael listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget."

>Svitolina, the No. 6 player in the WTA Tour singles rankings, ranked a career-best No. 3 in 2017. The four-time Grand Slam singles semifinalist represented Ukraine at the 2020 Summer Olympics and at the last several editions of the Billie Jean King Cup. She lost to Czechia's Linda Noskova in a 2026 Bille Jean King Cup finale last month in Shenzhen, China.

>Svitolina and Monfils played together on the competitive doubles circuit for the first time at the 2026 U.S. Open, reaching the semifinals of the mixed doubles tournament.