Tennis players Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils are ending their marriage after five years together, according to a joint statement released on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Svitolina, a sixth-ranked Ukrainian athlete, described the announcement on Instagram as the most difficult thing she has ever had to share. The couple, who married in 2021, have one daughter, Skai, born in 2022.
In her statement, Svitolina cited the internal emotional impact of the Russia-Ukraine war as a primary factor in the separation. She noted that while she had previously stepped away from professional tennis due to her emotional state, she experienced sleepless nights and a feeling of "slowly losing myself." She stated that she needs to find her way back to herself and determined she could not do so within the marriage.
Svitolina and Monfils previously took a four-month break from tennis at the end of 2025 before she returned to competition in January 2026. Throughout the current year, Svitolina has competed internationally and recently qualified for the WTA Tour Finals. During their marriage, the couple collaborated professionally, including a mixed doubles semifinal appearance at the 2026 U.S. Open in August.
The separation involves two prominent figures in professional tennis, directly affecting the family unit of a top-tier athlete and her husband. Svitolina, currently ranked sixth in the world, has a foundation through which she has reportedly raised more than $1 million for war-affected individuals. Her personal experience highlights the ongoing emotional strain faced by Ukrainian athletes who continue to compete internationally while their home country remains at war.
The specific scale of the impact is localized to the immediate family, including their young daughter, Skai, whom Svitolina stated "will always come first." Svitolina’s situation reflects a broader trend among Ukrainian competitors who have adopted specific protocols, such as refusing post-match handshakes with Russian and Belarusian opponents, a practice Svitolina has maintained throughout the year.
In the immediate future, Svitolina is scheduled to participate in the WTA Tour Finals, a tournament featuring the top-ranked players of the season. Her statement requested kindness and space as the family attempts to heal. No specific court dates or legal deadlines for the divorce proceedings were reported in the announcement. While the marriage is ending, Svitolina emphasized that she and Monfils would continue to raise their daughter together as parents.