Aryna Sabalenka made a victorious return to the court at the Miami Open just four days after the shock death of her former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov.
On the eve of Sabalenka’s opening tie, police confirmed Tuesday that Koltsov, who had been dating the Australian Open champion for three years, died on Monday at the age of 42 in an ‘apparent suicide’ after jumping from a hotel balcony in Miami.
It was initially believed that the Belarusian former professional hockey player, who shares three children with ex-wife Julija Mikhailova, had joined his girlfriend in the city as she prepared for the tournament this month.
Yet on Wednesday, Sabalenka, 25, claimed their relationship had already come to an end while breaking her silence on the ‘unthinkable tragedy’ of his death.
Despite Koltsov’s apparent suicide, the world No 2 chose to go ahead with her Miami Open campaign and secured a victory over her best friend Paula Badosa.
The weather's cleared up and the courts are dry 🙌@paulabadosa & @SabalenkaA ready for action on Grandstand.#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/bRWaVOvoPJ
— wta (@WTA) March 22, 2024
After five rain delays kept her waiting all day amid torrential downpour in Miami, Sabalenka finally stepped out onto the court for her Round of 64 clash with Badosa and earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
She received a warm reception after making her way out of the tunnel as fans showed their sympathy following her tragic loss just days ago.
Sabalenka had previously been seen working on her forehand and her serve on Tuesday and Wednesday, blocking out the grief in the immediate days after Koltsov’s apparent suicide to prepare for Friday’s match.
Miami-Dade Police have taken control of the investigation into his death. However, his ex-wife Mikhailova has offered her view on what might have happened to him – saying that he ‘was very likely drunk’ before his fall and that there were liquor bottles found throughout his room on the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.
‘Most likely, he was very drunk,’ she told Zerkalo about the ex-NHL star, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and represented Belarus at two Winter Olympics. ‘Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of this.
‘Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Konstantin stayed. There was a balcony overlooking the ocean. Probably Konstantin did not keep track of his actions.
‘We still have the old family computer with Konstantin’s email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Konstantin had further booked apartments in a different location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. He rented a car for a long time.
It’s unclear when Sabalenka and Koltsov’s relationship came to an end, but multiple sources told The Telegraph that the couple had split.
The pair were first linked in June 2021 and the two-time Australian Open winner has frequently posted photos of them together on her Instagram account.
‘I love you @koltsov2021,’ she wrote in one post that included heart and other emojis.
‘Happy birthday my love. You are my dearest person, my best friend and my strongest support. Peace be with you, strength, patience and health.
‘I hope we will have everything we planned I love you.’
The death of Sabalenka’s partner comes just five years after she lost her father Sergey following his sudden death at 43.
Like Koltsov, her father had also played professional hockey, and the Belarusian athlete has often spoken of the motivation her father’s passing her inspired in her tennis game.
