Gael Monfils has called the criticism aimed at Elina Svitolina since she announced the end of their marriage “venomous” and “upsetting”, using a social media post to defend the Ukrainian player.
Svitolina has said the emotional toll of the war in Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022, was part of the reason for the split. The pair married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai.
Monfils said Svitolina had spoken “vulnerably and truthfully” about her decision even though “she did not owe anyone an explanation”. He added that many people had decided her explanation “wasn’t perfect enough”, and that the response had been “unkind at best and venomous at worst”.
“Elina and I may no longer be a couple, but we are still a family,” he wrote. “Though my heart hurts, I am forever grateful to her for her support and love over the years.”
He asked the public to remember that much happens in a relationship “behind the curtain that cannot be explained in a post”, and said the two would keep supporting each other “especially as two people who share a child”.
Retirement confirmed
The post comes as the 40-year-old’s playing career reaches its end. Monfils, a former world number six with 13 ATP Tour titles and two Grand Slam semi-final runs, had been expected to bow out at next month’s Paris Masters in front of a home crowd.
That farewell now looks off the table. His retirement was effectively confirmed last week when his name appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Authority’s list of retired players. Players who remove themselves from anti-doping protocols can’t compete in professional tournaments.
Fans in Switzerland should still get one more look at him. Stan Wawrinka has said Monfils agreed to join him, Roger Federer and Andy Murray at an exhibition event in Geneva in December.
Away from the court, Monfils is preparing for a new career in finance after joining a Swiss wealth management firm.
Source: BBC Sport
