Two significant stories from the tennis world this week. Gael Monfils' 20-year career appears to be over — WEEKS EARLIER than planned, with no farewell and no public confirmation. And Elina Svitolina has announced that their marriage is ending.
WHY DID MONFILS RETIRE EARLY?
In October 2025, Monfils announced that 2026 would be his final season. "Life is too short," he said at the time. The plan was clear: a year-long goodbye, finishing at the Paris Masters from October 31 in front of a home crowd.
That isn't what happened. The International Tennis Integrity Agency now lists him among players who have declared themselves retired, with his career recorded as over from OCTOBER 5. He held a wild card for Lyon and withdrew, with organisers citing "personal reasons." The Paris farewell is off.
Which means his final professional match was a SECOND-ROUND LOSS AT THE US OPEN — a match nobody, including possibly Monfils himself, knew was the last. He has still not publicly confirmed his retirement.
SVITOLINA ANNOUNCES THE END OF THE MARRIAGE
On October 19, Elina Svitolina announced on social media that she and Monfils are ending their marriage. She cited the emotional toll of Russia's war in her homeland, saying she needs to find her way back to herself and cannot do that within the marriage. She was clear that there is "no one to blame," and Monfils shared her post on his own platforms.
The couple married in July 2021 and have a daughter, Skai, born in October 2022. Svitolina said their daughter remains their priority.
In this video: the timeline of Monfils' retirement and why the ending is so unusual for a player of his standing, what the ITIA listing actually means, a look back at a career that made him one of the most watchable athletes of his generation, and the Svitolina announcement in her own words.
🎾 IN THIS VIDEO
- The full timeline of Monfils' retirement
- Why a planned farewell tour ended without a farewell
- A career retrospective on one of tennis's great entertainers
- Svitolina's statement and what she said
📊 THE FACTS
Gael Monfils: announced in October 2025 that 2026 would be his final season · listed by the ITIA as retired from October 5, 2026 · withdrew from Lyon citing personal reasons · expected Paris Masters farewell (from October 31) will not happen · final match was a second-round loss at the 2026 US Open · has not publicly confirmed retirement
Elina Svitolina: announced the end of the marriage on October 19, 2026, citing the emotional toll of the war in Ukraine · married July 2021 · daughter Skai born October 2022
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⚠️ Independent tennis news and commentary. All details are as reported by the ITIA, tournament organisers and the players' own public statements. Not affiliated with the ATP or the WTA.
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