Monfils speaks out for the first time after separating from Svitolina

A few days ago, the announcement from Elina Svitolina that she had separated from Gael Monfils. came as a shock. No one understood anything, as they were one of the most beloved couples on the circuit, but the Ukrainian tennis player explained her reasons, and once and for all, it was understood why the French player had decided to retire early. Once things have calmed down, it was the Frenchman who spoke for the first time through an Instagram post.

The message Monfils wanted to convey was essentially asking for respect and understanding for Svitolina, who has been inundated with hate since it became known that she was the one who decided to end the relationship. Many blame her for making this decision just a few months before Gael ends his career, forcing him to retire early due to being heartbroken, but the French player himself revealed that there are things that cannot be explained that have led to this situation, reiterating that he does not want disrespect towards his ex-partner. 

This was the full statement from Gael Monfils on Instagram

Over the years, Elina and I have enjoyed sharing our story and our family with all of you.

We have also always shared our individual difficulties. In my case, a series of injuries and self-doubts that have tested me in new ways. In Elina's case, the destruction and suffering that have wrecked her country.

Now, we are separating. And just as we have done before, we have decided to share this difficulty with the public.

As anyone who has experienced the end of a relationship knows, it is not something easy to address. A separation is a minefield of complicated, confusing, and difficult feelings to manage. Elina and I are doing everything we can to get through this situation, and we are doing so with the immense respect and love that we still feel and will always feel for each other.

Although Elina didn’t owe any explanations to anyone, she chose to speak honestly and show vulnerability in explaining the reasons for this decision. She did it in the best way she knew how. Many people decided that her explanation was not perfect enough, and Elina has faced a type of criticism that, at best, I found unkind, and, at worst, absolutely poisonous.

Even though Elina and I are no longer a couple, we remain a family. While my heart aches, I will always be grateful for her support and love throughout all these years. When I was about to quit tennis, she gave me the encouragement I needed to move forward. And she is the person behind some of the greatest victories of my life: our daughter, Skai, is the most important of all.

While I deeply appreciate that the public cares so much about my happiness, I have been saddened by the lack of consideration and kindness shown towards Elina. Some people may not understand her reasons or disagree with them, but please remember that many things happen behind closed doors in a relationship that cannot be explained in a post.

Elina has her own battles to face, just as I have mine. I respect her decisions and her reasons, and we will continue to support and care deeply for each other, especially since we are two people who share a child.

As we move into this new phase of our lives, I would like to ask everyone to remember that we are nothing more than human beings: not Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina, but Gaël and Elina. Imperfect, but trying to do the best we can.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Monfils se pronuncia por primera vez tras separarse de Svitolina