Gael Monfils has broken his silence four days after Elina Svitolina dropped the divorce bombshell, defending his soon-to-be ex-wife amid backlash over her unconvincing reasons for wanting to end their marriage. Amid the personal turmoil, the French tennis star closed his career before competing in Lyon and Paris, where he had been expected to bid farewell to the sport in front of his home crowd, while stressing that he and Svitolina will always love and respect each other despite their separation.
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After fans were left shocked by reports that Svitolina had informed Monfils over the phone of her decision to end their five-year marriage, citing how the devastating war in her native Ukraine had profoundly changed her outlook on life and left her unhappy in the marriage, many began questioning her true reasons for seeking a divorce. Monfils came to her defense in a statement released on Friday:
“Even though she did not owe anyone an explanation, Elina chose to speak vulnerably and truthfully about her reasons for this decision. She did so in the best way she knew how. Many decided that her explanation wasn’t perfect enough, and Elina has now faced a kind of criticism that I have found unkind at best, and venomous at worst.”
He continued: “While I am deeply grateful that the public feels so invested in my happiness, I have found the lack of grace and kindness shown towards Elina upsetting. While some may not understand her reasons, or agree with them, please remember that there is so much more that happens in a relationship behind the curtain that cannot be explained in a post.”
That’s exactly what Svitolina emphasized in her follow-up post, that the decision was never driven by a single factor, but her attempt to offer further clarification only left fans with more questions about the real reasons behind the split.
Like Svitolina, Monfils pointed out that they would remain a loving family for their four-year-old daughter, Skai, while continuing to support each other and maintain the deep respect and affection they share: “A separation is a minefield of messy, complicated feelings that Elina and I are both trying our best to navigate, and we are doing so with the great respect and love that we still, and will always, hold for each other.”
While Monfils brought his tennis career to an earlier-than-planned end amid the personal drama, Svitolina has withdrawn from next week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo but is still expected to compete at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, which begin on November 8.
