“She doesn’t deserve this at all”- Aryna Sabalenka receives condolences from fans worldwide as the death of her boyfriend Konstantin Kolstov is confirmed

In a piece of terrible news for tennis and ice hockey fans, Aryna Sabalenka‘s boyfriend and ice hockey veteran Konstantin Kolstov has sadly passed away. He was 42 and had retired in 2016 having made his debut in 1998.

While the exact details have not been yet revealed, his demise was confirmed by Russian club Salavat Yulaev. He was believed to be in Miami along with Sabalenka as the World No. 2 is scheduled to play in the 2024 Miami Open. The reports of his passing floated for a few hours before the club confirmed it.

Kolstov won the Russian Super League title in 2008 with Salavat Yulaev. He had returned to the club as an assistant coach a while ago. The sudden nature of his death has left the entire sporting community shell-shocked. The club released an official statement offering their prayers for the departed soul.

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. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club. 

Read the statement released by the 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. The hockey club “Salavat Yulaev” expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Konstantin Evgenievich Koltsov. Bright memory

Concluded the club in its statement.

Neither Sabalenka nor her team have made any comment on the unfortunate situation so far. With the tournament scheduled to begin in a day, it seems unlikely that she will participate given such a devastating loss.

Fans pour in their sympathies for Aryna Sabalenka and Konstantin Kolstov’s families

As the news was confirmed, tributes for the players poured in from fans worldwide. His relationship with Sabalenka had made him famous in tennis circles as well. He was often spotted in her box and tournament sites cheering for her.

Fans took to social media to offer their condolence to Sabalenka’s and Kolstov’s families in this difficult situation. Below are a few of the messages posted by fans online.

This will be particularly a difficult time for Sabalenka. Having lost her dad back in 2019, she has opened up on various occasions to talk about how difficult it was for her to cope. As she was just dealing with it, the demise of Kolstov will be a huge setback for her.

In this difficult time, she would expect fans to respect her privacy and emotions and fans should oblige with it. With no official confirmation on the exact cause of Kolstov’s passing, unverified rumors that will hurt the player’s family should be avoided at this point by everyone.

In case you missed it:

• Emma Raducanu withdraws from Miami Open with back injury! What does it mean for Britain’s chances at the tournament?
• WATCH: “Tennis is such a sh*t sport,” Losing to Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev erupts in anger as massive crowd support for the Spaniard gets on his nerves

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW