Gael Monfils banned from retirement U-turn due to tennis rule after Elina Svitolina split
Gael Monfils suddenly entered retirement earlier this month, and it has since emerged that he has split from wife Elina Svitolina.
Gael Monfils retired abruptly due to his 'situation' with Elina Svitolina (Image: Getty)
Inside Gael Monfils' retirement and why he can't U-turn
Sudden retirement:Gael Monfils was expected to play the Lyon Open and the Paris Masters before ending his career. However, he notified the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of his retirement on October 5 and was listed as a retired player on their website.
Tournament withdrawals: After Monfils’ name appeared on the ITIA’s list of retired players, organisers of the Lyon Open confirmed that he had withdrawn from the tournament and from an exhibition tie due to “personal reasons”.
Marriage split: On Monday, October 19, Monfils and WTA No. 6 Elina Svitolina released a joint statement confirming the end of their marriage. Written from Svitolina’s perspective, she said: “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.”
Second statement: Svitolina released another statement one day later, saying she wanted to “clarify” her reasons for leaving their marriage. She also confirmed that their situation led to Monfils’ sudden retirement.
Monfils ‘accusations’: The Ukranian revealed that she and Monfils publicly announced their split to stop any speculation about his retirement. “As some of you saw, Gael’s career ended abruptly after he made the decision to stop based on our situation. Unfortunately he had many accusations thrown at him and he didn’t deserve that, so we jointly released a statement,” she wrote.
ITIA rules: In order to return to competition, Monfils would now have to re-enter the ITIA’s anti-doping testing pool for six months before he can play again. This rules out any possibility of changing his mind and competing at the Paris Masters in early November.
Monfils’ life in retirement: The former world No. 6 has already shared his wish to work in finance after ending his playing career. He previously completed an internship and exams, ready for his new life working in a bank.
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