MIAMI (Reuters) – World number two Aryna Sabalenka expressed profound grief over the death of her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in what she described as an “unthinkable tragedy”. This marks Sabalenka’s first public statement following reports of Koltsov’s apparent suicide.
On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade police department confirmed that they had responded to a call concerning a man jumping off a balcony at a Miami resort a day earlier. They stated that no foul play was suspected in the incident.
The news of Koltsov’s passing sent shockwaves through the Miami Open, where Sabalenka is set to play her first match against Paula Badosa on Friday.
“Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka conveyed through a statement issued by her publicists. She requested privacy for both herself and Koltsov’s family during this challenging time.
This statement marked the first acknowledgment of the couple’s separation following the tragic event.
Koltsov, a 42-year-old former professional ice hockey player, represented the Belarus national team at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and played for the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins from 2003 to 2006.
Sabalenka and Koltsov were romantically linked in June 2021, as reported by People magazine. The world number two frequently shared photos of their time together on her Instagram account.
In one post, Sabalenka expressed her love for Koltsov with accompanying heart emojis. Koltsov also celebrated Sabalenka’s back-to-back Australian Open victories in January.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Miami, additional reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles. Editing by Toby Davis)
