They conquered the court, dominated the course and made us believe in sporting fairytales. But sometimes, the toughest battles happen outside the arena.
In sports, we celebrate the goals, wins, the trophies, the records and those unforgettable moments when two champions find love in each other. But what happens when the final whistle blows on the relationship?
The latest couple making headlines is tennis stars Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils, who have announced the end of their marriage after five years together.
Svitolina, the Ukrainian tennis star, opened up about the emotional impact of the ongoing war in her country, revealing how it affected her mental and emotional well-being. She acknowledged that Monfils stood by her through difficult moments, but said she needed to rediscover herself outside their marriage.
And in a message that showed there was more to this story than celebrity gossip, she made one thing clear: their daughter Skai will always come first. Their marriage may be ending, but their family will continue.
There was no public blame game. No dramatic exchange of accusations. Just a difficult decision between two people who, according to Svitolina, loved each other deeply.
But this is not the first time a sporting fairytale has ended, here are 6 times we have seen sporting fairytales come to an end.
When the champions became exes
1. Lindsey Vonn and Thomas Vonn — Skiing
Lindsey Vonn became one of the most celebrated names in alpine skiing, but before she became a global sporting icon, she married fellow skier Thomas Vonn.
The couple married in September 2007. Thomas also played a role in supporting Lindsey’s sporting career.
However, they announced their separation in 2011, and their divorce was finalised in January 2013.
2. Candace Parker and Shelden Williams — Basketball
Basketball gave us another example of two athletes building a life together.
Candace Parker became one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, while Shelden Williams played college basketball at Duke and went on to play in the NBA.
They married in November 2008 and had a daughter together. But in November 2016, Williams filed for divorce after eight years of marriage.
Parker’s story also continued in a different direction: she later married former Russian basketball player Anna Petrakova.
3. Mary Decker and Ron Tabb — Athletics
Distance runners Mary Decker and Ron Tabb were both involved in competitive American athletics when they married in 1981.
Their marriage, however, lasted only until 1983.
Decker later married British discus thrower Richard Slaney in 1985, showing just how closely her personal life intersected with the world of athletics.
4. Chris Evert and John Lloyd — Tennis
Chris Evert is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, while John Lloyd was a British professional tennis player.
They married in 1979, and Evert became known professionally as Chris Evert Lloyd during their marriage.
Their relationship eventually ended, and they divorced in 1987.
Evert later reflected on how demanding tennis careers and their time apart affected their marriage.
5. Chris Evert and Andy Mill — Tennis and skiing
Evert’s second marriage was to American alpine skier Andy Mill. The pair married in 1988 and had three sons together.
Their marriage lasted 18 years before their divorce was finalised in December 2006.
Unlike Evert’s first husband, Mill competed in a different sport, but he understood the demands of elite athletic life.
Their relationship lasted far longer than many celebrity marriages, yet it eventually came to an end.
6. Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger — Football
These two American football stars shared more than a marriage. They shared the experience of representing their country at the highest level.
Harris and Krieger were teammates with the United States women’s national team and part of the squads that won the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019.
They married in December 2019 and built a family together, adopting two children. However, in September 2023, Harris filed for divorce.
Imagine playing alongside someone on the biggest stages in world football, celebrating international glory together, and later having to navigate the end of your marriage.
From tennis courts to football pitches, ski slopes and skating rinks, these couples have shown us that sometimes the partnership that works beautifully in competition doesn’t last forever in private life.
Maybe the real lesson is this: we can celebrate the trophies, admire the chemistry and enjoy the fairytale moments, but we should also remember that relationships are personal, and their endings deserve the same humanity we give their beginnings.
Because in sport, a final whistle ends a match. In love, the ending is rarely that simple.
