Gael Monfils Cites Divorce from Elina Svitolina as Reason for Early Retirement
The French tennis star stated that his personal life led to an inability to train or compete effectively.
French tennis player Gaël Monfils has revealed that his divorce from Elina Svitolina significantly impacted his ability to continue his professional career, leading to his premature retirement from the sport.
In a recent Twitch live stream, Monfils, speaking in French, explained that the emotional toll of the separation made it impossible for him to find the motivation and mental state required for competitive tennis. "Everything I do is not as good as it used to be," he stated, reflecting on how the divorce affected his performance and his outlook.
Monfils, 40, noted that he was already struggling to return to the courts for his planned retirement, experiencing various emotions that further complicated his ability to play. He added that he has been experiencing a reduced appetite and a diminished capacity for training, directly linking these issues to the breakup.
He elaborated on the difficulty of experiencing a separation, drawing parallels to others who have gone through similar situations. "This separation didn’t leave me unaffected," Monfils said. "For people who’ve been in my situation, living through a breakup isn’t easy: When something like that happens, I can’t train the way I want to. I’m not in the best frame of mind."
The announcement of the divorce between Monfils and Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina came via a joint social media post last week. While Svitolina initially cited the emotional impact of the war in her native Ukraine, she later clarified that there were "so much more" factors contributing to their decision.
The couple, who married in Switzerland in July 2021, share a daughter, Skaï, born in October 2022. They had previously competed together at the U.S. Open in the mixed doubles event.
Monfils' farewell tour was cut short. He was initially slated to retire at the Paris Masters in November, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) listed him as retired as of October 5. His final singles match occurred in the second round of the U.S. Open, where he lost to American Learner Tien.
Monfils had previously spoken out in defense of Svitolina following fan reactions to their divorce announcement, emphasizing the private nature of relationships and the complexities that cannot be fully conveyed in public statements.