Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has dealt with an “intense” month-plus since the death of her ex-boyfriend, former NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, on March 18.
The No. 2-ranked player in the world opened up about the sudden passing of Konstantin Koltsov, a former NHL player, and the two had been dating for nearly three years until his reported suicide in March.
Sabalenka lost in the Madrid Open final to Iga Swiatek in a tiebreak 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (7-9) on Saturday and spoke to the media following the match.
“Last month has been kind of intense for me and it feels like I haven’t been on stage forever. I’m speechless right now,” Sabalenka said.
She later added thank yous to her team for their encouragement.
“Thank you so much to my incredible team, I’m pretty sure I have the best team with me, you help me through a lot, you always keep me going, thank you so much and I love you.”
Sabalenka decided to still compete in the Miami Open this year, which began only days after Koltsov’s death. She did not make herself available to the media throughout the tournament.
Sabalenka, who said she and Koltsov were no longer together at the time of his death, said in a statement on March 20 that Koltsov’s passing was “an unthinkable tragedy.”
The Belarus native won her second consecutive Australian Open earlier this year, and was at least a semifinalist in all four major tournaments last season.
The 26-year-old also reached the US Open Final in 2023.
Koltsov, 42 years old when he passed, played professional hockey from 1997 to 2016, including an NHL stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002-06.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
