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Tennis fans offered their heartfelt condolences to Aryna Sabalenka after it was recently reported that her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, died in Miami.
Koltsov, a former Belarusian ice hockey player, played for his country at the 2002 and the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was also part of the Pittsburgh Penguins squad in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2002-2006.
Konstantin Koltsov also served as the head coach for the Belarusian national ice hockey team. The 42-year-old was also an assistant coach for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, a Russian professional ice hockey team in the Kontinental Hockey League.
A page on X (formerly Twitter), dedicated to hockey in Belarus, reported that Koltsov died in Miami. The Salavat Yulaev Ufa's telegram page also shared the news of his reported passing. The cause of the passing was, however, not disclosed.
"It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that Salavat Yulaev coach Konstantin Koltsov has passed away. He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans," the statement read. (Translated from Russian). "The hockey club "Salavat Yulaev" expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Konstantin Evgenievich Koltsov. Bright memory..."
Tennis fans were devastated by the news and extended their support to Aryna Sabalenka during the tragic time.
"So sad man. All the prayers in the world aren’t enough. Hope she has people checking on her," one fan wrote on X.
Aryna Sabalenka lost her father, Sergey, a former ice hockey player, in 2019. The two-time Grand Slam champion often expressed her grief about the loss and also shared how her father’s life-long wish motivated her to win her two Major titles.
"My heart hurts for Aryna. As one who lost a parent, and then subsequently someone dear to me, two years apart, it is an awful thing to go through," one fan said.
Below are a few more fan reactions:
Aryna Sabalenka recently landed in Miami for the 2024 Miami Open
Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov was presumably in Miami to cheer on the World No. 2 at the 2024 Miami Open. Ever since the couple made their relationship public in 2021, Koltsov was often spotted supporting Sabalenka during her matches.
The Belarusian, who won her second Australian Open title earlier this year, was recently in action at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where she was defending her runner-up finish from 2023. But she suffered a fourth-round upset to home hope Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the tournament.
As per her social media updates, Aryna Sabalenka then traveled to Miami days before the combined ATP and WTA event. Sabalenka also shared clips of her practice sessions in the Floridian city.
