‘What the war has done to me inside’: Ukraine’s Svitolina announces separation from Monfils

The world No 6 Elina Svitolina has announced she has separated from her husband Gaël Monfils.

In an emotional Instagram post, the 32-year-old Ukrainian opened up about the mental toll of Russia’s war against her country, describing sleepless nights and self-doubt. Svitolina said she had come to realise she needed to rediscover herself and could no longer do so within her marriage.

“This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share,” she wrote. “Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside. 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. Gaël listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget.”

Svitolina – a four-time grand slam semi-finalist – and the French former world No 6 Monfils, 40, were married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai.

“Skai will always come first,” Svitolina added. “Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. Please know that there is no one to blame here. There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape.”