Svitolina confirms divorce prompted Monfils' early tennis retirement

Elina Svitolina confirmed on Monday that her divorce from Gael Monfils led to his premature retirement from tennis. Svitolina, the world No. 6, stated that Monfils decided to stop playing following their separation after five years of marriage, ending his 22-year professional career earlier than planned.

Monfils, 40, played his final match in a straight-sets defeat to Learner Tien at the US Open on September 3. The couple have a four-year-old daughter, Skai, whom they will continue raising together, with Svitolina emphasizing that Skai will always come first.

Career timeline

Monfils had publicly announced in 2023 that 2026 would be his final season and was expected to make a farewell appearance at November's Paris Masters. Instead, his career concluded abruptly. He was registered as retired by the International Tennis Integrity Agency on October 5 and withdrew from an ATP 250 event in Lyon this week for personal reasons.

The former world No. 6 and 13-time ATP Tour singles champion therefore ended his career several years ahead of his stated schedule.

Personal context

Svitolina, 32, explained that the decision to divorce was complex and driven by more than one factor. While she cited the mental toll of Russia's war in Ukraine, including sleepless nights and doubts, as a contributing element, she clarified it was never just about the conflict. She wrote that she did not want to keep living a life where she was not truly happy.

The Ukrainian player, who married Monfils in July 2021 and had their daughter in October 2022, is currently playing one of the best seasons of her career after taking time off at the end of 2025. She reiterated that she and Monfils would maintain a co-parenting focus for their daughter.

Recent on-court partnership

Just weeks before Monfils' final singles match, the pair demonstrated their on-court chemistry one last time. In August 2024, Svitolina and Monfils reached the semi-finals of the US Open in mixed doubles, providing a final notable joint result for the high-profile tennis couple.

Svitolina will now concentrate on her upcoming season while putting daughter Skai first, as she repeatedly emphasized.