Elina Svitolina has announced her separation from Gaël Monfils, and the Tampa Bay Rays are one win from the World Series. Jalen Hurts is likely to miss the rest of the NFL season with blood clots, Ben Simmons has torn an Achilles tendon, and Sarina Wiegman has extended her England contract.
Elina Svitolina announces her separation from Gaël Monfils, citing the toll of the war in Ukraine
Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian ranked sixth in the world, has announced that her marriage to the French player Gaël Monfils is ending. In a post on Instagram on Monday, the 32-year-old wrote about the toll Russia’s war on her country had taken on her, describing sleepless nights, doubts and a sense of slowly losing herself. She said she needed to rediscover who she was and could not do so within the marriage, calling it the hardest thing she had ever told the person she loved.
Svitolina said Monfils had listened, respected what she needed and stood by her through her struggles, but that some battles could not be won with someone else’s love. The couple, who began dating in 2018, married in 2021 and have a four-year-old daughter, Skai, who Svitolina said would always come first. She wrote that their marriage was ending but their family was not, and that nobody was to blame for the decision.
Svitolina, who grew up in the Black Sea city of Odesa, has reached four Grand Slam semi-finals, and she stepped away from the tour last year, saying she was not in the right emotional state. Monfils, 40, a former world No 6 who won 13 titles, had been expected to bow out at the Paris Masters from 31 October, but he now appears on the sport’s list of retired players, with his career over from 5 October. The pair reached the mixed doubles semi-finals at this year’s US Open.
Tampa Bay Rays move one win from the World Series with a 3-1 victory in Cleveland
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Cleveland on Sunday to take a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series, leaving them one win from the World Series. Drew Rasmussen allowed one run on four hits over seven innings, and Bryan Baker closed out the ninth for his 35th successful save in a row. The Rays scored once in each of the first three innings and forced the Guardians’ rookie starter, Parker Messick, out of the game after two.
The series returns to Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida, for Game 6 on Monday night, with a seventh game, if needed, on Tuesday. The winner will meet the National League champions, the Milwaukee Brewers, in a World Series starting on Friday. “I think this ends tomorrow,” the Rays’ Yandy Díaz said. Cleveland, who came back from 2-0 down against the Chicago White Sox in the previous round, have never won an ALCS after trailing 3-2.
The Rays, who joined the major leagues in 1998, have reached the World Series twice, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, and neither they nor the Brewers have ever won it. Cleveland last took the title in 1948. Bad weather disrupted this series: Game 3 was moved five hours earlier, and a postponement on Friday removed the planned travel day, leaving the teams to play on four consecutive days.
Jalen Hurts is likely to miss the rest of the season with blood clots in his lungs and leg
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and leg and is likely to miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season. In a statement on Monday, the team said tests had found deep vein thrombosis in his left calf as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli, but that he was clinically stable with no significant functional limitations. He is being treated with blood thinners and will not be allowed to take part in contact activities, including football.
The Eagles did not give a timeline for his return, though a joint statement from the team and his agent described his prognosis as very good. Hurts, the Super Bowl’s most valuable player, last played on 11 October in a 19-17 defeat by the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and the Eagles placed him on injured reserve over the weekend. Without him, they lost 25-14 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He was first diagnosed with a clot in his calf, and the problem in his lungs was found in later tests.
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein, most often in the calf or thigh, and it can cause throbbing pain and swelling in one leg. It can be serious because clots can travel to the lungs and block a blood vessel there, which is known as a pulmonary embolism and can be life-threatening if it is not treated quickly. Patients are usually given anticoagulant medicines, which stop existing clots from growing and prevent new ones from forming.
Ben Simmons tears his Achilles tendon and will miss the NBA season
The Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons has torn his right Achilles tendon and will have surgery, the team said on Sunday, ending his comeback attempt before the NBA season had begun. The 30-year-old was hurt during a live drill at practice three days before the Kings’ opening game, away to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Simmons, a three-time All-Star, signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Sacramento on 4 September and is now expected to miss the whole season.
In a statement on social media, Simmons said he had faced challenges that tested him mentally, physically and emotionally and had found a way through each of them, calling the injury another chapter in his journey rather than the end of his story. In two pre-season appearances for Sacramento he averaged 10.5 points while playing 17.5 minutes a game. Sacramento had signed him to back up the rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr, with the ability to play in all five positions.
Simmons, who was born in Melbourne, was the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers after one college season at LSU. He was Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and an All-Star in each of the next three seasons. He sat out the 2021-22 season amid mental health concerns and injuries while seeking a trade, then spent two and a half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets before being released in February 2025. He finished that season with the Clippers and sat out the next.
Sarina Wiegman signs a two-year extension to lead England until Euro 2029
Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension as head coach of England women, keeping her in charge until the end of Euro 2029. Her previous deal was due to expire after next summer’s World Cup in Brazil, and the new one gives her the chance to lead the Lionesses to a third consecutive European title. Wiegman said she was delighted to carry on with the squad and could not think of a better job in football.
England have yet to qualify for the World Cup, which takes place in June and July, and will face Ukraine in a two-legged play-off. Wiegman said the tournament was her main concern for now. The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, called her an incredible coach with an unparalleled record in major tournaments. The new deal also means she might lead Team GB at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, should the side qualify.
Wiegman, who turns 57 next Monday, replaced Phil Neville in September 2021. She led England to their first major trophy at Euro 2022, beating Germany 2-1 at Wembley, reached the 2023 World Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Spain, and retained the European title against Spain in 2025. Before that she guided her native Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title and the 2019 World Cup final, becoming the first manager to reach five consecutive major international finals.