Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka is still aiming to play in the Miami Open later this week, despite the death of her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. Koltsov, who was a professional hockey player, died in Miami in what the Miami-Dade Police Department are calling an “apparent suicide.”
Sabalenka, 25, is the No. 2 seed in the Miami Open, and is scheduled to face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Simona Halep and Paula Badosa on Friday. She received a first-round bye in the tournament.
Koltsov participated in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics as he represented his home country of Belarus. The winger was selected with the No. 18 pick in the 1999 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and spent three seasons with the franchise.
Koltsov retired from the sport back in 2016, and was an assistant coach with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
“The Penguins extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Penguins forward, Konstantin Koltsov,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sabalenka also lost her father, Sergey, in 2019 when he died at the age of 43. Sergey Sabalenka was also a former hockey player.
She is currently ranked as the No. 2 player in the world, and has won the Australian Open in both 2023 and 2024.
KVSP