“I probably can’t say I lead a happy life in general, given the difficulties I face daily,” the world No. 6 said in an interview with Ukrainian outlet BTU, relayed by We Love Tennis on Sunday as the WTA Finals began in Indian Wells.

She described a year weighed down by crowded schedules and the war in her home country, and said constant public attention had made things harder still. Every movement, she told the outlet, becomes a subject of commentary.

A split made public three weeks ago

Svitolina announced the end of her marriage to Monfils on 19 October in an Instagram post, then issued a clarifying statement the following day after the news drew intense reaction online.

In that second statement, she said the decision had been years in the making and tied to more than any single cause, including her perspective shaped by living through the war in Ukraine.

Read also: Carlos Alcaraz denies Taylor Fritz ATP finals spot as 20-year-old Spaniard makes history

“I simply realized that I didn’t want to keep living a life where I wasn’t truly happy,” she wrote, insisting her feelings for Monfils remained intact.

Defending Monfils against the online backlash

The Ukrainian pushed back against claims directed at Monfils once the separation became public, saying the French player had faced unfair accusations in the days after the announcement.

“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,” she wrote in the follow-up statement, reported by Tennis365.

Monfils, who had announced in October 2025 that 2026 would be his final season on tour, did not play again after his second-round defeat to Learner Tien at the US Open in September. In mid-October he withdrew from Lyon and Paris, ending his career earlier than planned. The couple married in 2021 and have a daughter, Skai, born in 2022.

Read also: Carlos Alcaraz makes history in Paris after taking revenge on Ben Shelton

‘Small moments of happiness’ with those closest to her

Svitolina told BTU she has tried to narrow her focus to what she can shape herself, finding “small moments of happiness every day” with the people closest to her.

She opens her WTA Finals campaign against Mirra Andreeva on Monday in Group 2 of the eight-player tournament, which runs through 15 November at Indian Wells after being relocated from Riyadh.

Read also: “I never thought i’d say this”: Jamie Redknapp names Arsenal’s biggest title challenger