Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov has passed away at the age of 42.
Koltsov died away on Monday in Miami where the world No.2 was preparing to play her next tournament. A former ice hockey player, he enjoyed a successful sporting career which saw him play in the National Hockey League and represent his country at both the Olympic Games and world championships on multiple occasions. After retiring from the sport, he went into coaching where he worked with the Russian team Salavat Yulaev, as well as the Belarusian national team. He has also previously coached Dynamo Minsk.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away,” Salavat Yulaev said in a statement confirming his death.
“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club. Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev, and did a great job on the team’s coaching staff.”
There has been no official comment concerning the details of Koltsov’s sudden death. He had been in a relationship with Sabalenka since 2021, according to People magazine. Koltsov had three sons Daniel, Alexander and Stefan from a previous marriage that ended in divorce in 2020.
The death is another tragedy for the tennis star who lost her father Sergey back in 2019 when he was just 43 years old. Sergey was also a former ice hockey player who suddenly died. During the second series of Netflix’s Break Point series, Sabalenka spoke about being able to finally speak with her mother about her father’s death.
“When I told her I want to win a slam for him, for his memory … she said ‘what are you talking about?’” the two-time Australian Open champion said.
“‘He was proud of you after each match you won. Every match for him mattered and titles weren’t a big deal for him’.
“I kind of found this relief. He would be proud of me no matter what. I felt free.”
In Savalenka’s most recent tournament, she reached the fourth round in Indian Wells before losing to Emma Navarro. Following the death of Koltsov, she has been removed from the practice schedule at the Miami Open and social media posts about her participation have been removed.
