Gael Monfils abruptly confirmed his retirement from tennis with the sport having ‘lost all meaning’ after Elina Svitolina’s decision to end their marriage.
Svitolina, 32, had confirmed her separation from her fellow tennis star on Monday, where she cited the devastating toll Russia’s war in Ukraine has taken on her mental health.
Monfils, 40, and Svitolina had been a couple since 2018 and married three years later. They shared a four-year-old daughter, who Svitolina stressed that their child will remain their top priority as they navigate their separation.
According to L’Equipe, the divorce led to Monfils bringing forward his retirement from the sport.
The French newspaper stated that the news had ‘hit him like a ton of bricks’ and that tennis ‘lost all meaning as a result’, with Monfils deciding he was ‘no longer able to play’.
Tennis fans had been surprised last week when Monfils was listed as being inactive on a retired players list overseen by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
Gael Monfils abruptly retired following his split from fellow tennis star Elina Svitolina
Svitolina announced the end of the couple’s marriage in a social media post on Monday
His place on the list meant that Monfils is no longer able to play in professional events.
Monfils announced in October last year that he planned to retire at the end of the 2026 season, with the Paris Masters event at the start of November expected to be his swansong in front of a home crowd.
He had also been granted a wildcard entry to appear at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, an ATP 250 event in Lyon, this week.
Monfils was due to take part in an exhibition at the event with retired French tennis stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet. The quartet had been dubbed as the ‘New Musketeers’ by French media during their careers.
Organisers had confirmed earlier this month that Monfils had withdrawn for ‘personal reasons’, with Lucas Pouille stepping in as his replacement.
Monfils’ career officially ended at the US Open in September, when he was beaten in the second round by Learner Tien.
‘I’m just me, Gael Monfils,’ he said following the match. ‘I think I have been the same since I came on tour, with a lot of joy.
‘The most important for me is how my family lived all these years and how they will remember this ride was unbelievable.’
In an emotional post, Svitolina revealed devastating toll Russia’s war in Ukraine has taken on her mental health and urged she needs to rediscover herself separately from Monfils
Monfils and Svitolina had played together in the US Open mixed doubles back in August
Monfils, who is viewed as one of the best players never to win a major, had competed in the mixed doubles competition at the US Open with Svitolina.
The star was previously treated to a lengthy send-off at his home major Roland-Garros in May.
Monfils, who was ranked as high as world No6 at his very peak and reached two Grand Slam semi-finals in 2008 and 2016, confirmed at the US Open that he will embark on a career in finance after joining a Swiss management firm.
Svitolina had confirmed their separation in a social media post, which featured a black and white picture of her and Monfils embracing.
The Ukrainian opened up about sleepless nights and self-doubt amid the ongoing conflict in her homeland, admitting on Instagram that she needs to rediscover her identity after ‘slowly losing myself’.
‘This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share. Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside,’ she wrote.
‘Gael saw all of it. He never let go of my hand. We fought through this together for a long time, with everything we had. But some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you.
‘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.’
Svitolina, the world number six, this week was confirmed to have qualified for the season-ending Women’s Tennis Association Finals.
