Aryna Sabalenka was spotted on the court in Miami less than 24 hours after the death of her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, on Monday. Koltsov, who had been dating Sabalenka for around three years, was a former professional ice hockey player and had represented Belarus at the Winter Olympics twice.
On Tuesday, footage from Canal+ showed Sabalenka training on the practice courts at the Miami Open, which is set to get underway this week. She is due to begin her campaign on Friday against either Simona Halep or Paula Badosa, who will face each other in the opening round.
Sabalenka is still expected to play at the Miami Open in spite of Koltsov’s shock passing, according to Tennis Channel, but it is said that she will not speak to the media following her matches.
Koltsov was in Miami when he died on Monday, with local police confirming that he jumped from a hotel balcony in an ‘apparent suicide’. Sabalenka last posted about him on Instagram in April to wish him a happy birthday, calling him her ‘best friend and strongest support’.
She wrote: “I love you. 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.”
A number of tributes have come in from across the sporting world, with Kolstov’s former club the Pittsburgh Penguins posting a message on social media. They wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The Penguins extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Penguins forward, Konstantin Koltsov.”
Tennis star Sloane Stephens appeared to share a message of condolence for Sabalenka on the same platform, posting: “That moment when you can actually feel the pain in your chest from hearing something or seeing something that breaks your heart.”
Koltsov played 144 games for the Penguins between 2003 and 2006 and was most recently a coach at Russian club Salavat Yulaev. He represented Belarus at the Winter Olympics twice, coming closest to a medal in 2002 when his side finished fourth.
Salavat Yulaev broke the news of Koltsov’s death with an official statement, which read: “It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away.
“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club. Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev and did a great job on the team’s coaching staff. May his memory burn bright.”
