Elina Svitolina has spoken up about her current relationship with Gael Monfils. Svitolina and Monfils became one of tennis’ most high-profile power couples after starting to date in late 2018, and they married three years later. However, in October this year, they released a joint statement confirming their divorce. The announcement led to significant fan backlash against Svitolina, with critics particularly finding fault with her citing the war in her native Ukraine as one of the reasons for ending the marriage.
Monfils, considered one of the ATP Tour’s greatest entertainers and a popular locker-room player, hung up his racket earlier this year. However, Svitolina’s WTA career continues to thrive. The Ukrainian veteran is currently competing at the WTA Finals, where she has advanced to the semifinals. Here, she was interviewed by journalist Christian Basnight, who asked the World No. 6 whether she views the year-end championships as an ‘escape’ from the turmoil in her personal life.
Dismissing the suggestion, Svitolina told Basnight:
“I wouldn’t say so (that the 2026 WTA Finals has been an escape for me) because still lots of things are going on. Social media, a lot of pressure and I think lots of negative talking on social media towards me. I wouldn’t say it’s an escape in a way because in this situation I just want to be away from the media and all the social media. I try to deal with it the best way I can.”
She also said that her relationship with Monfils, despite their divorce, remains positive, and that their shared priority is ensuring the happiness of their daughter, Skai. Svitolina added:
“I have great people around me and most importantly, I think just being honest with you guys, we have a great relationship with Gael. Even 10 minutes before the match I had to talk with him and we’re on good terms. The most important thing for us is to have our daughter happy. It’s the most important priority for us.”
Elina Svitolina storms into the WTA Finals’ last four with a win over former World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
Svitolina’s 2026 WTA Finals campaign did not get off to the best of starts, with the Ukrainian suffering a chastening straight-set loss to Mirra Andreeva. However, she kept her chances of progress alive with a three-set win over Karolina Muchova in her second Round Robin phase outing.
It all boiled down to the Ukrainian’s last Round Robin stage outing against former No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Quite simply, the winner would progress to the semifinals and the loser would go home. Here, Svitolina produced a gritty display, ultimately registering a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win to down the four-time Major singles champion from Belarus.
Up next for Svitolina is a semifinal showdown against reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. The winner of the last-four match will face either Mirra Andreeva or Jessica Pegula in the final. Svitolina is a former WTA Finals champion, having won the prestigious year-end championships in 2018. She also finished runner-up the following year.
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Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original