Monfils opens up after his breakup: "I'm not at my best right now"

Gael Monfils has provided new details about the difficult personal moment he is experiencing following his separation from Elina Svitolina. The French tennis player spoke in a live stream on his Twitch channel about how he is coping with the divorce from the Ukrainian tennis player, acknowledging that the situation has affected him much more than he expected and he has opened up internally to share how he is feeling.

“I can't train as I would like, and mentally, I'm not at my best. I'm not going to pretend that I'm okay. I eat less and everything I do is harder for me. It’s already quite difficult to step onto a court knowing that you are living the last moments of your career, with emotions that you have never experienced before. And if, in addition, you are going through such a complicated personal moment and have to think about competing, for me it was simply impossible to keep playing,” Monfils shared.

Monfils, in a Twitch stream, has opened up to share how he feels after the breakup with Svitolina. 🗣️ "I'm not at my best. I'm not going to pretend that I'm okay. I eat less and everything I do is harder for me" 🗣️ "It’s already quite difficult to step onto a court knowing that you are living the last moments of your career, with emotions that you have never experienced before" 🗣️ "I couldn't train as I would like, and if, in addition, you are going through such a complicated personal moment and have to think about competing, for me it was simply impossible to keep playing" All of us who have been through a situation like this know how Gael must be feeling 💔

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) October 27, 2026

Gaël Monfils anticipated his retirement due to the divorce

The French tennis player had planned to end his career this season, but he wanted to do it in a very different way. Monfils expected to say goodbye to tennis at the tournaments in Lyon and Paris, in front of his home crowd after more than two decades as a professional. However, Svitolina's separation accelerated Gael Monfils' retirement.

As he himself confirmed, his retirement was hastened to October 5, a decision he made after realizing he was not mentally prepared to face his final commitments. The 40-year-old Frenchman admitted that the breakup affected him so much that he could not train or prepare as he needed to compete at the highest level.

Gaël Monfils speaks up for Elina Svitolina

The separation between Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina has also sparked significant controversy on social media. The couple, who married in 2021 and share a daughter, was one of the most well-known and beloved in the circuit. Therefore, the announcement of their divorce surprised many fans.

The Ukrainian tennis player, who made the decision to end her marriage, has faced numerous criticisms for the reasons she publicly stated to explain the breakup. Svitolina spoke about the emotional toll caused by the war in Ukraine and how it had changed her perspective on life, explanations that generated negative comments among some followers.

The situation escalated to the point that Monfils himself had to intervene publicly to ask people to stop attacking Svitolina. The Frenchman described some of the criticisms as cruel and venomous, reminding everyone that no one knows everything that happens within a relationship.

Despite the pain caused by the separation, Monfils wanted to make it clear that he still holds a great fondness for his ex-partner, thanking her for all the support received during his career. Moreover, he remembered that Svitolina is the mother of his daughter Skai and that, although their marriage has ended, they will continue to be a family.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Monfils se abre en canal tras su ruptura: "No estoy en mi mejor momento"