Elina Svitolina issues further clarification on Instagram after split from Gael Monfils
Elina Svitolina on Tuesday posted a further clarification on Instagram after backlash and confusion over her announcement that her marriage to Gael Monfils had ended. Her second statement expanded on the reasons behind the decision while continuing to withhold specific personal details, prompting additional questions.
Svitolina opened the post by addressing misunderstandings about her earlier message: "I just want to clarify my previous post a little, because I realized that not everyone, especially my international audience, fully understood what I was trying to say." She said the first announcement had highlighted only one reason and that the decision was driven by multiple personal factors rather than solely by the war in Ukraine: "In that post, I shared only one of the reasons that influenced my decision and made me reflect on my life and my future. But the truth is, there’s so much more to it, and it was never just about one thing."
She reiterated that living through conflict had reshaped her perspective and priorities, writing: "When you’ve been living through the reality of war for more than 4.5 years, experiencing so many different situations, emotions, and difficult moments, you naturally start seeing life differently. Your perspective changes, your values and priorities shift, and you begin to understand what you truly want out of life." Svitolina’s initial Monday announcement had stressed the psychological impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on her outlook.
Svitolina described reaching a point where she could not continue living unhappily and said the decision was difficult to take: "At some point, I simply realized that I didn’t want to keep living a life where I wasn’t truly happy. And believe me, coming to this decision was anything but easy." She acknowledged that her additional comments provided context but did not disclose the other factors that contributed to the separation.
The clarification also addressed matters linked to Monfils’ abrupt end to his professional career. The article states Monfils had intended to retire at the end of the 2026 season with a farewell appearance at the Paris Masters expected, while the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) lists October 5, 2026, as his retirement date. Svitolina wrote: "I love and respect my husband very much. And I will always love and appreciate him for the person he is. That’s exactly why it was so important for me to be honest, both with him and with myself." She added: "It’s not always possible to explain everything behind such personal and difficult decisions in a single post. And honestly, some things are simply too personal to share publicly."
Svitolina and Monfils began their relationship in 2019 and married in July 2021, and their daughter, Skai, was born in October 2022. The article notes that by the time of the October 2026 separation announcement they had been together for approximately seven years and married for just over five years.
Svitolina said some elements of the situation would remain private and described how accusations against Monfils prompted a joint response: "That was and is my view on announcing the end of our marriage but as some of you saw, Gael’s career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation. Unfortunately he had many accusations thrown at him and he didn’t deserve that, so we jointly released a statement." She appealed for compassion, adding, "I just hope this helps you understand a little better what I was trying to say but please be kind and understanding, this is incredibly tough for us both right now," and stressed that their daughter will remain their priority and that the family bond will continue.
