Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has defended Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils after the couple faced a wave of online criticism following the announcement of their divorce. Monfils and Svitolina had been married for just over five years before the confirmation.
Couple's journey from meeting to marriage
The pair, one of tennis's most celebrated power couples, first connected in late 2018 in Paris, France. Svitolina was fresh off winning the WTA Finals title in Singapore when Monfils reached out to invite her for drinks. By the 2019 Australian Open, they had gone public and created a shared Instagram account, which quickly became a fan favourite.
In early 2021, the pair took a brief break before rekindling their romance and marrying in July. The following year, they welcomed their first child, daughter Skai, on October 15, 2022.
Navratilova hits out at critics
This month, Monfils stepped away from professional tennis and less than a week later, the couple confirmed that their marriage had come to an end. Amid online criticism of both players, particularly over Svitolina's statement, Navratilova, an 18-time singles Grand Slam champion, leapt to their defence.
"People are so nasty," Navratilova posted. "Nobody is hurting more than Elina and Gael right now and people dare criticize them? Only wish them good luck and good health."
Monfils urges fans to show grace
Both players have maintained that they remain on good terms, with Monfils urging fans to cease directing hostility towards his former partner. He wrote in a social media post: "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.
"Elina and I may no longer be a couple, but we are still a family. Though my heart hurts, I am forever grateful to her for her support and love over the years. 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."
He added: "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. Elina has her battles to fight, just as I have mine. I respect her choices and reasons, and we will continue to support and care deeply about each other, especially as two people who share a child."
Svitolina opens up about struggles
In her initial statement, Svitolina revealed: "This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share. 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. Gael 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.
"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."
"Gael has loved me through my greatest joys and my darkest moments, and I have loved him with all my heart. Together, we built a beautiful life and we were given the most precious gift of all, our daughter, Skai.
"Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. We will always be her parents, side by side, at every step of her life.
"Please know that there is no one to blame here. There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape. We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal."
