Gael Monfils cannot reverse his sudden retirement from tennis because of an International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) rule, following his split from wife Elina Svitolina. To compete again, he would need to re-enter the ITIA's anti-doping testing pool for six months, ruling out any return at the Paris Masters in early November.
Retirement and tournament withdrawals
Monfils was expected to play the Lyon Open and the Paris Masters before ending his career. However, he notified the ITIA of his retirement on October 5 and was listed as a retired player on their website.
After his name appeared on the ITIA's retired players list, organisers of the Lyon Open confirmed that he had withdrawn from the tournament and from an exhibition tie due to "personal reasons".
Marriage split and statements
On Monday, October 19, Monfils and WTA No. 6 Elina Svitolina released a joint statement confirming the end of their marriage. Written from Svitolina's perspective, she said: "With time, I came to understand that I need to find my way back to myself and that I cannot do that within our marriage. It is the hardest truth I have ever had to face and the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love. Gael listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget."
Svitolina released another statement one day later, saying she wanted to "clarify" her reasons for leaving their marriage. She also confirmed that their situation led to Monfils' sudden retirement.
Accusations and ITIA rules
The Ukrainian revealed that she and Monfils publicly announced their split to stop any speculation about his retirement. "As some of you saw, Gael's career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation. Unfortunately he had many accusations thrown at him and he didn't deserve that, so we jointly released a statement," she wrote.
In order to return to competition, Monfils would now have to re-enter the ITIA's anti-doping testing pool for six months before he can play again. This rules out any possibility of changing his mind and competing at the Paris Masters in early November.
Life after tennis
The former world No. 6 has already shared his wish to work in finance after ending his playing career. He previously completed an internship and exams, ready for his new life working in a bank.
