‘So much more to it’: Tennis star responds to blowback after shock split
Elina Svitolina has released another lengthy statement about her abrupt separation from Gaël Monfils after heavy blowback from fans online.
Svitolina earlier this week announced their separation with a joint statement on her Instagram account. She said the emotional toll from the war in her native Ukraine was a driving factor in her decision.
Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina has announced their separation. Instagram
But after online speculation from fans, Svitolina on Tuesday night (AEDT) released another statement where she said the war was “only one of the reasons that influenced my decision”.
“But the truth is, there’s so much more to it, and it was never just about one thing,” she wrote.
“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.
“At some point, I simply realised 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.
“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 myself.
“It’s not always possible to explain everything behind such a personal decision in a single post. And honestly, some things are simply too personal to share publicly.”
According to French publication L’Equipe, the couple’s separation was behind Monfils’ sudden disappearance from the sport.
The Frenchman had intended to bow out of the sport at the Paris Masters – his home tournament – but removed himself from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) drug-whereabouts list. The agency confirmed he was added to its “retired athletes” list on October 5.
The 40-year-old’s removal from the list makes him ineligible to compete in any sanctioned tennis tournament.
His addition to the retired athletes list had led to whispers Monfils had been caught up in his own integrity issue that had not yet been made public.
On Svitolina’s post, fans were critical of the timing of her decision, which they saw as having “robbed” him a chance of a farewell. Monfils was one of the most popular players on the tour among fans and fellow players.
Svitolina said her ex-husband “didn’t deserve” the accusations thrown at him, which is why they elected to release the statement jointly.
L’Equipe reported Monfils pulled out of his farewell tournaments in Lyon and Paris because he had been “struggling to cope” with the end of his marriage.
The publication described the veteran as an emotional individual who was deeply affected by this stressful situation, someone who makes rash decisions when emotionally affected.
“When Monfils learned of the news, it hit him like a ton of bricks, and tennis, which he had often experienced as a kind of gentle madness, suddenly lost all meaning,” the L’Equipe article reported.
“He was no longer able to play.”
The divorce was announced on social media by Svitolina on Monday, with the sixth ranked Ukrainian writing that the split was the “the most difficult thing I have ever had to share.”
Svitolina outlined the tough emotional impact the war in her country had on her well-being, and how Monfils supported her to cope with the struggle when she took a break from tennis to recover.
Gaël Monfils on the retired players list. ITIA
“But some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you,” she wrote.
“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.”
Monfils and Svitolina have a daughter together.
“Together, we built a beautiful life, and we were given the most precious gift of all, our daughter, Skai,” Svitolina said.
“Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. We will always be her parents, side by side, at every step of her life.”
