Elina Svitolina had a tough few weeks coming into the WTA Finals. She announced the separation from her partner Gael Monfils after five years of marriage in October, and the Ukrainian faced massive backlash for that. Now, after qualifying for the third semifinals at the WTA Finals, she was asked whether the tournament was a welcome distraction. 

Speaking to journalist Christian Basnight in the mixed zone after beating Aryna Sabalenka to reach the last four, Svitolina said the tournament had not offered the escape many assumed. 

“Still lots of things going on, social media, lots of pressure, and I think lots of talking, negative talking also on social media towards me,” Svitolina stated. “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.” 

Pressed on how she manages that noise, Svitolina described a day-to-day balancing act rather than a fixed routine. 

“Sometimes when I feel like I’m overloaded, I try just to switch off, you know, all this Instagram and other apps that is kind of negative in a way, and just focus on myself and my family,” she said. On other days, she added, she copes fine. The key, in her telling, has been leaning on the people closest to her. 

“I have great people around me,” she said, before making a point of addressing the relationship at the centre of the speculation.

What she said about Monfils was striking for its warmth. Svitolina made clear that the two remain close and are focused entirely on raising their daughter. “We have a great relationship with Gael. And even like 10 minutes before the match, I had to talk with him. And we’re on good terms,” she said. 

“The most important for us is to have our daughter being happy. And yeah, it’s the most important priority for us.” Her statement clearly reflects that it was not a bitter fallout. 

On October 19, Svitolina announced on Instagram that her marriage to Monfils was ending, calling it the most difficult thing she had ever had to share and writing that she needed to find her way back to herself. In the same message, she stressed that while the marriage was over, the family was not, and that the couple’s young daughter, Skai, would always come first. 

The news came only weeks after Monfils, a long-time fan favorite, brought his own playing career to a close. Everyone blamed the Ukrainian for the divorce on social media, considering what she mentioned in her message about how the situation in her country has severely affected her and the relationship. There were even reports which stated that Svitolina informed about the separation to Monfils over a phone call. 

The off-court noise did not stop there. Svitolina arrived in Indian Wells amid a second controversy, after the WTA scrapped its traditional group photo of the eight qualifiers in favor of individual portraits. The change was one of the most prominent points of focus during the build-up, and her name was certainly in the spotlight in the speculation surrounding it. 

Svitolina had already spent weeks under the microscope and entered the season-ending event with yet another swirling tale. She has still managed to produce her best tennis, making the run all the more remarkable. 

Svitolina’s tennis has thrived while her private life has shifted

On Friday, Svitolina came from a set down to beat Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, converting her fourth match point to end a run of defeats stretching back six years against the Belarusian. It was only her second win in eight career meetings with Sabalenka, and it sent her through to the last four of the season-ending event as the runner-up in her group. 

The victory knocked a former world No. 1 out of the tournament and underlined how well Svitolina is playing at the business end of a long year.

This is old territory for her, but it has been a while since she was last here. Svitolina won the WTA Finals in 2018 and reached the final the following year, but she had not qualified again until this season. Her return to the event comes after a stellar 2026, in which she has crossed the 50-wins milestone. The Aryna Sabalenka victory was her 10th top-10 win of the season, the joint most with the world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, and she has lifted titles in Auckland and Rome and reached the Australian Open semifinals. Being in the semifinals of the largest tournament outside the majors is a lot to achieve at 31, especially when everything outside the court is falling apart.

She will face reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the semifinal on Saturday. The Ukrainian insisted she is equipped to handle whatever comes next, on or off the court. 

“I’m used to it,” she said of the scrutiny. “I have tough skin for this over the years with everything that I’ve been dealing with.” That resilience will be tested again when she walks out for a place in the final, with her focus, as ever, on the daughter watching from home.