Tennis star Elina Svilotina makes one demand after explaining why she is divorcing Gael Monfils

Elina Svilotina has confirmed her marriage to fellow tennis star Gael Monfils has come to an end and has made one demand as the couple go their separate ways.

The 32-year-old Ukrainian began a relationship with Frenchman Monfils back in 2019 and became engaged in April 2021.

The couple married a few months late in July 2021 and became parents to a girl called Skai in 2022.

However, Svilotina has now confirmed that her marriage to fellow tennis star Monfils has ended and through this has concluded, she has vowed they remain a partnership as parents to daughter Skai will continue in an emotional Instagram post.

'We built a beautiful life and we were given the most precious gift of all'

She wrote: "Together, we built a beautiful life, and we were given the most precious gift of all, our daughter, Skai.

"Skai will always come first. Our marriage is ending, but our family is not. We will always be her parents, side by side, at every step of her life."

Monfils is listed as having retired from professional tennis earlier this month, with his best result in a Grand Slam coming in 2016 when he reached the semi-final stage of the US Open and did the same back in 2008 at his home tournament, the French Open

He also reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on two occasions in 2016 and 2022, while his best result at Wimbledon came in 2018 when he made the fourth round.

Svitolina meanwhile has been a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, and has reached the quarter-final stage of the French Open on six occasions.

This year, she exited the French Open at the hands of fellow Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, while she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka at the semi-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

'Please know that there is no one to blame here'

Svitolina took a break from tennis in 2022 due to a combination of health issues and the impact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine that year had on her.

In the Instagram post announcing her divorce from Monfils, Svitolina has opened up on the reasons behind it and paid tribute to her now former husband for his support during this time, but believes they must go their separate ways to 'find my way back to myself' after the emotional impact of the invasion took its toll on her ultimately.

She wrote: "Gael saw all of it. He never let go of my hand. We fought through this together for a long time, with everything we had. But some battles happen deep inside you, and no amount of love from someone else can win them for you.

"With time, I came to understand that I need to find my way back to myself and that I cannot do that within our marriage. It is the hardest truth I have ever had to face and the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love. Gael listened. He has respected what I need with a strength and grace I will never forget.

"Gael has loved me through my greatest joys and my darkest moments, and I have loved him with all my heart."

And Svitolina ended the post by saying that neither her not Monfils is to blame for their marriage coming to an end as she asked for them to be both given space.

She added: "Please know that there is no one to blame here. There are only two people who loved each other deeply and a story that is changing shape.

"We ask for your kindness and for the space we need to heal."