In the latest edition of Vogue magazine, women's tennis star Aryna Sabalenka opened up about the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. The Belarusian athlete shared her emotional struggle and the difficulty of accepting the loss.
Emotional Revelation
“I was fighting with the cop — like, I couldn’t accept it,” Sabalenka told the fashion magazine in her cover story published on May 18. Reports at the time indicated that Koltsov, a former NHL player, had jumped off a balcony at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami on March 18, 2024. The Miami-Dade Police Department stated that no foul play was suspected. Koltsov was 42 at the time of his death.
The tennis ace learned of Koltsov’s death the same day when Miami police approached her on the practice courts. Despite the tragedy, Sabalenka chose to compete in the Miami Open less than a week later, beating Spain’s Paula Badosa in the round of 64 on March 22. However, she lost in the third round to Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine the following day.
Dealing with Grief
“I don’t know if there’s any cliché about how you’re supposed to grieve,” she told Vogue. Her immediate return to the court drew criticism online, especially after she smashed her racket and canceled her press conference following the loss. Sabalenka defended her decision, saying, “I feel like in this situation, there is no right and wrong. We all need different things. For me, going back to work is the only way. I’m 28, but sometimes I think I’ve had everything in life that you could imagine.”
In August of the same year, Sabalenka told the Independent that taking a break after Koltsov’s death would have been the proper course of action. “Looking back, I definitely think that I should have just stopped and just separated myself from tennis, just have a little break, recharge and start things over again,” she said.
Koltsov’s Hockey Career
Konstantin Koltsov played 144 NHL games over three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His last professional team was Minsk Dynamo in the KHL. He also represented Belarus as a forward at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Sabalenka’s Current Relationship
Currently, Sabalenka is dating Oakberry founder Georgios Frangulis. The couple got engaged in March of this year. Oakberry is a quick-service food chain specializing in 100% natural açaí bowls and smoothies.
