Sabalenka reflects on regret post-ex-boyfriend Koltsov’s death.
Aryna Sabalenka has discussed the emotional struggle she faced following the death of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, a former NHL player who passed away at 42 after falling from a Miami hotel balcony. Though she was reported to still be in a relationship with Koltsov at the time of his death, Sabalenka later clarified that they were no longer together but that she was deeply affected by the loss.
Despite the tragedy, Sabalenka immersed herself in her tennis career, continuing to practice and compete at the Miami Open shortly after Koltsov’s death. However, five months later, she admitted in an interview with The Guardian that she should have approached her grief differently.
Sabalenka explained that while tennis helped her cope with the loss of her father in 2019, she now feels that she should have taken a step back to process her emotions following Koltsov’s death. She acknowledged that her decision to keep pushing through the grief took a toll on her mental health, but expressed gratitude for how tennis has supported her through these challenges.
