Elina Svitolina has issued a second statement addressing her split from Gael Monfils, clarifying the previous message and revealing that his sudden retirement from tennis was linked to their personal situation.
On Monday, the couple released a joint statement, written from Svitolina's perspective, announcing they would be separating after five years of marriage and eight years together. The announcement came days after it emerged that Monfils had abruptly ended his tennis career.
Retirement and withdrawal
The former world No. 6 was due to play two more tournaments in his farewell season – this week's Lyon Open and the upcoming Paris Masters. However, he notified the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of his retirement on October 5, bringing his career to an end.
At the time, the Lyon Open said Monfils' withdrawal was due to "personal reasons." He also pulled out of a pre-tournament exhibition event involving other retired French players. The 40-year-old did not address his retirement himself, but Svitolina confirmed the end of their marriage on Monday in a shared Instagram post.
Second statement
The WTA No. 6 has now released a second statement to "clarify" the previous message. Svitolina's latest post also addresses Monfils' sudden retirement, admitting he decided to end his career based on their personal situation.
