MIAMI-. The Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka He said Wednesday that he was “heartbroken” by the apparent suicide of former player of ice hockey Konstantin Koltsov, with whom she said she was no longer involved in a romantic relationship.
“Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy and, although we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka, second in the women’s world rankings, said in her first comments since Koltsov’s death on Monday.
“Please respect my privacy and that of his family during this difficult time,” Sabalenka added in a statement released by her representative.
Koltsov died on Monday. Miami police said the Belarusian had jumped from the balcony of a resort room in an “apparent suicide.”
The former ice hockey player, with a brief stint in the NHL with the Pittsburg Penguins, was 42 years old and had been in a romantic relationship with Sabalenka for more than three years, according to media reports.
Sabalenka, 25 years old and two-time Grand Slam winner, will play the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami on Friday against the Spanish Paula Badosa.
A great friend of Sabalenka, Badosa said the match would be “uncomfortable.”
The WTA players have come out in unison to provide their support to the Belarusian, who practiced on the tournament courts on Tuesday.
In his career, Koltsov played for Belarus at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010, as well as nine world championships.
Source: AFP
