Svitolina divorce hit Monfils 'like a ton of bricks' as early retirement now explained
Gaël Monfils' "abrupt decision" to end his career earlier than expected has been linked to his divorce from world No.6 Elina Svitolina, following the Ukrainian's emotional social media announcement. Svitolina, 32, shocked the tennis world when she revealed on social media that she and Monfils had decided to part ways. "This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share," Svitolina said.
"Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me. What I have rarely spoken about is what the war has done to me inside.
"Last year, I told you I needed to step away from the court because I wasn't in the right emotional space. Today, I want to open up a little more. What you didn't see were the sleepless nights, the doubts, and the feeling of slowly losing myself.
"Gaël 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."
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Last week, it was spotted that Monfils had officially retired from tennis after his name was included in the ITIA's list of retired players.
However, the 40-year-old was due to end his career at next month's Paris Masters in front of his home crowd, but his decision not to participate now makes sense.
"When Monfils learned of the news, it hit him like a ton of bricks, and tennis, which he had often experienced as a kind of gentle madness, suddenly lost all meaning," reported French newspaper L'Équipe.
"He was no longer able to play. Hence his abrupt decision to remove himself from the anti-doping lists on October 5th, a gesture of no return that ultimately reflects his personality, as he struggles to manage stressful situations. With his highly emotional nature, even the smallest problem could often escalate dramatically."
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