Elina Svitolina explains separation from Gael Monfils in new message

Elina Svitolina announced the end of her marriage to Gael Monfils in a lengthy Instagram post on October 19, according to L'Équipe. The announcement came after five years of marriage.

The tennis players married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Express & Star reported. Her name is Skai, according to Times of India Top Stories.

In her October 19 statement, Svitolina connected the separation to the emotional toll of the war in Ukraine, BBC Sport reported. Her account placed her personal struggle with the war at the centre of the announcement.

Svitolina also described needing to find her way back to herself and feeling unable to do that within the marriage, according to Adnkronos. The statement was not simply an announcement of a split, but an explanation of the distress behind it.

The same day, Times of India Top Stories reported that the couple remained committed to their daughter. Its headline quoted Svitolina saying: "Marriage is ending, but our family is not".

The announcement followed news of Monfils's early retirement, La Repubblica reported on October 19. CNN Brasil, citing L'Équipe, linked his decision to bring forward retirement to the impact of the separation.

On October 20, Svitolina published a further social media message. L'Équipe reported that she said not everyone had fully understood what she was trying to express and offered more explanation of her distress over the war in Ukraine.

Svitolina has publicly announced that the marriage is ending and has followed that announcement with a further explanation. The supplied reporting does not establish whether a legal divorce has been completed.

The couple's stated commitment to their family remains central to the account reported by Times of India Top Stories. Reports about the effect on Monfils's retirement are a separate strand, while Svitolina's latest message focuses on clarifying her own experience.