Sabalenka was seen working on her serve 24 hours after Koltsov’s passing (Picture: Getty)
Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov ‘was likely very drunk’ when he fell to his death on Monday, his ex-wife has told media in Belarus.
Sabalenka, a Belarusian tennis star ranked No.2 in the world, who won this year’s Australian Open, is currently in Florida where Koltsov died by ‘apparent suicide’.
Koltsov was a former ice hockey player who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL and represented Belarus at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010.
Koltsov, 42, had been in a relationship with Sabalenka, 25, for three years and reportedly jumped from a hotel balcony in Miami – which ended up being fatal.
While ‘no foul play is suspected’ over Koltsov’s death, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department, an investigation into what happened is ongoing after he fell from the 23rd floor at the St Regis Bal Harbour Resort.
Julija Mikhailova, the ex-wife of Koltsov, who had three children with him, claims police found empty booze bottles in his room but no suicide note.
‘Most likely, he was very drunk,’ she told Zerkalo. ‘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.
‘That is, he did not intend to die. Anything, of course, can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.’
Mikhailova added that Koltsov’s three children – aged 18, 16 and five – are still coming to terms with their father’s death and also said of her relationship with Sabalenka: ‘[She is a] nice girl.
‘I loved Konstantin very much, but Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.’
Koltsov’s former coach Vladislav Astapenko, meanwhile, feels his death could be related to family problems.
‘He had an argument, it’s a family situation,’ he told Tribuna. ‘I can’t understand it myself, it’s very difficult, it’s hard now.’
Sabelenka is scheduled to play her first Miami Open match on Friday and intends to take part in the tournament despite news of Kolstov’s death.
