"Rare W from tournament organizers" - Fans applaud as Aryna Sabalenka's Miami Open 2R clash vs Paula Badosa postponed after her ex-boyfriend's death

The Miami Open's decision to postpone Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa's second-round clash by a day, following the demise of the former's ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov, has been met with approval from tennis fans.

On March 18, it was confirmed that Koltsov, a former ice hockey player, had died in Miami at age 42. While the cause of his death has yet to be officially announced, reports suggest that the Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating it as an "apparent suicide."

Aryna Sabalenka, who had been in a relationship with Konstantin Koltsov since 2021, recently broke her silence on his passing. She revealed that while they were "no longer together," she was heartbroken over his demise.

Amid the devastating circumstances, Sabalenka continued her preparations for her Miami Open campaign. Following a first-round bye, the second seed faces her close friend Paula Badosa in the second round of the WTA 1000 event.

After Badosa's 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Simona Halep on Tuesday, March 19, her clash against Sabalenka was expected to take place on Thursday. However, tournament organizers postponed the match to Friday, March 22, allowing the Belarusian an extra day before taking the court.

Tennis fans applauded the tournament organizers's decision to provide Aryna Sabalenka with more time to cope with the tragic circumstances.

"Rare W from tourney organizers," a fan posted.

"Very kind from the tournament," another fan chimed in.

Meanwhile, one fan praised Paula Badosa for agreeing to the postponement, despite the likelihood of her third-round clash still taking place on Saturday if she beat Sabalenka.

"Probably Paula was also asked and agreed knowing the fact that if she wins, she has to play again on Saturday. Major props to her for being such a good friend for Aryna," the fan commented.

Here are a few more reactions from fans on X:

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"Aryna Sabalenka is a strong woman, she will get the power from somewhere" - Paula Badosa on their Miami Open 2R clash

Aryna Sabalenka

Following her triumph over Simona Halep in the first round of the Miami Open, Paula Badosa looked ahead to her second-round clash against Aryna Sabalenka.

Badosa hailed the Belarusian as a "strong woman" and expressed confidence in the World No. 2's ability to power through the match despite the loss of her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov.

"I don't really know what to say. I mean, she's one of my best friends. Of course, I know what she's going through. Honestly, for me hasn't been easy, too," she said in her post-match press conference.

"I really don't know what to say, honestly. She's a strong woman. I think she will get the power from somewhere. I hope it's going to be a battle, a good match, and let's see," she added.

The Spaniard also reflected on the "uncomfortable" situation of facing Sabalenka under these circumstances. However, she refrained from delving deeper into the topic, revealing that she had promised not to discuss it further.

"That for me is a little bit shocking also to go through that because at the end she's my best friend, and I don't want her to suffer. It's a very tough situation," she said.

"At the same point playing against her, it's also uncomfortable. Yeah, but I don't really want to talk about it because I said I'm not going to talk about it. She's my best friend and I promised that. I'm going to stay like this. Sorry," she added.

The winner of Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa will take on Caroline Wozniacki or Anhelina Kalinina in the third round.