"Aryna Sabalenka having to deal with grief is unfathomable to me" - Andrea Petkovic extends sympathy to Belarusian after her ex-boyfriend's death
Andrea Petkovic recently talked about the passing of Aryna Sabalenka's ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov, and conveyed her sympathy to their families.
Koltsov, a former international ice hockey player from Belarus, passed away on March 18 at the age of 42 after apparently jumping off a hotel balcony in Miami. His death was ruled as an apparent suicide by the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Former German tennis star Andrea Petkovic gave her thoughts on the incident via a newsletter on her Substack channel 'Finite Jest.' In her newsletter, the former Top-10 player talked about the dynamics between tennis players who are dating each other and stated her shock after learning about Koltsov's death.
Noting Sabalenka's decision to compete at the 2024 Miami Open, Petkovic noted that she, too, had played big matches with some personal troubles. However, her troubles were not public knowledge unlike the World No. 2's
"The terrible news about Aryna Sabalenka’s ex-partner have really shook the tennis world and me with it. I have had to play big matches with private worries on my mind but they were mostly that: private. Aryna having to deal with the grief and everyone knowing about it is unfathomable to me," Petkovic wrote.
"It partly inspired this text just to remind everyone (myself included who sits in a booth and calls tennis matches for a living): it’s not always known what is going on behind the scenes. In this case it is and my heart breaks for Aryna and Konstantin’s family and friends," she added.
Aryna Sabalenka wins 2R match at Miami Open 2024
Aryna Sabalenka began her campaign at the 2024 Miami Open on a fruitful note after bettering close friend Paula Badosa in the second round. The Belarussian received a first-round bye by virtue of being one of the seeded players, and faced Badosa in a rain-affected Day 4 on the WTA 1000 event.
In a complete performance, Sabalenka broke the Spaniard three times during the match to wrap up a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win in an hour and 24 minutes. She also saved the solitary break point on her serve and won 70 points compared to Badosa's 55.
The reigning Australian Open champion will next face 32nd seed Anhelina Kalinina in the third round in Miami. The Ukrainian bettered Dane veteran Caroline Wozniacki in her second-round contest. Whoever out of Sabalenka and Kalinina wins, will face either Yulia Putintseva or Greet Minnen in the fourth round of the Miami Open.