Gael Monfils was supposed to have one last moment in front of the Paris crowd before calling time on his tennis career. Instead, the Frenchman’s career appears to have ended abruptly. Reports now suggest that his separation from Elina Svitolina played a major role in his sudden decision to walk away from the sport.
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Monfils had initially planned to play the Lyon Open and the Paris Masters before retiring at the end of the 2026 season. He had received a wild card for Lyon, and the Paris Masters was expected to give him a final chance to say goodbye to the fans who had followed his career for more than two decades. Instead, the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s records listed Monfils as retired effective October 5, with his last match being a second-round defeat to Learner Tien at the US Open in September.
The news of the separation hit Monfils hard. Reports by L’Équipe say that “tennis suddenly lost all meaning” for the Frenchman after he learned about the end of his marriage. The report also says he was no longer in a condition to continue playing.
Svitolina announced the end of her marriage on October 19, explaining that the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine have taken a profound toll on her. In her statement, she described sleepless nights, doubts, and a growing feeling that she was losing herself.
And while she credited Monfils for never letting go of her hand, she also made it clear that “some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you.”
There was a lot of chatter following her post, and per Svitolina, several misunderstood what she was trying to say.
“In that post, I shared only one of the reasons that influenced my decision and made me reflect on my life and my future. But the truth is, there’s so much more to it, and it was never just about one thing,” she added in another Instagram post.
She further shared that the separation did affect Monfils, writing, “Gael’s career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation. Unfortunately he had many accusations thrown at him and he didn’t deserve that, so we jointly released a statement.”
The couple had been together since 2018, married in July 2021 and welcomed their daughter, Skai, in October 2022. Their relationship had often been visible on the tennis circuit, with the two players supporting each other through the demands of professional sport. Svitolina earlier stressed that their separation would not end their commitment to their daughter, writing: “Our marriage is ending, but our family is not.”
Monfils had also spoken earlier in the year about the life he wanted beyond tennis. After his French Open campaign, he said he wanted to focus more on fatherhood and family life. He had already arranged a move into wealth management with a Swiss company, making clear that retirement would bring a substantial change in his daily routine.