Tennis star Svitolina says emotional toll of Ukraine war led to Monfils separation

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has announced the end of her marriage with French former tennis player Gaël Monfils, citing the emotional impact of the war in her country.

The 32-year-old, who is ranked number six in the world, wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram about the effect the conflict and "what the war has done to me inside".

"This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to share," she wrote, saying "I need to find my way back to myself". Svitolina said she felt she could not do that within her marriage.

She said her husband Monfils, 40, "listened" and "respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget".

"Some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you," the four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist wrote.

It was "the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love", Svitolina said.

"Everyone knows how much Ukraine means to me," Svitolina, who grew up in Odesa, said.

Source: BBC News World RSS (Open Press / Full Text)