Elina Svitolina breaks silence on Gael Monfils separation & current relationship status ahead of WTA Finals SF
Elina Svitolina has shed light on her relationship with Gael Monfils since their separation. She addressed the end of her marriage, the abuse that followed and where the couple stand now, at Indian Wells after booking her spot in the semifinals of the 2026 WTA Finals.
In October, Svitolina announced that her five-year marriage was ending, citing the emotional toll of the war in Ukraine and a need to find her way back to herself. A wave of hostile criticism followed, which did not abate even after the Ukrainian issued another statement. Monfils then responded in his own post, condemning the criticism aimed at her as “unkind at best, and venomous at worst,” stressing that the two remain a family for their four-year-old daughter, Skai.
Through it all Svitolina has been competing in the California desert. After losing her WTA Finals opener to Mirra Andreeva and coming from a set down to beat Karolina Muchova, she needed to beat Aryna Sabalenka to make the last four. The World No. 6 prevailed, holding off Sabalenka’s comeback effort to claim a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory.
While speaking to the press after her win, Svitolina denied that the tournament was an escape from the noise surrounding her separation from Monfils.
The 32-year-old also revealed that her relationship with Monfils has stayed friendly, with their daughter at its center.
“I have great people around me. And then most importantly, just being honest with you guys, we have a great relationship with Gael. Even 10 minutes before the match, I had to talk with him and we’re on good terms. The most for us is to have our daughter being happy. It’s the most important priority for us,” she added.
Elina Svitolina opens up about dealing with social media abuse amid Gael Monfils separation
Elina Svitolina also opened up about enduring harsh social media abuse since announcing the news of the separation, explaining that she avoided going online on days when she felt overwhelmed by the discourse.
The World No. 6 also said she had developed “tough skin” over the years, having had to endure similar speculation at other points in her career.
Elina Svitolina will now turn her attention to gearing up for her blockbuster semifinal clash against Linda Noskova at the WTA Finals. The Czech topped Group 1 with straight-sets wins over Marta Kostyuk and Coco Gauff.
Noskova leads their tour-level head-to-head 2-1, having won both hard-court meetings in 2024, though Svitolina won their most recent clash in the Stuttgart quarterfinals in April. They meet in Saturday’s semifinal, with the winner facing Mirra Andreeva or Jessica Pegula in Sunday’s final.
