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Aryna Sabalenka is opening up about how she coped with the devastating loss of her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov.
The 28-year-old Belarusian tennis star discussed the difficult period following Koltsov's death in March 2024 during an interview with Time for its September cover story, published Thursday, Aug. 13. The former NHL player died at age 42 in what was reported as an apparent suicide.
Sabalenka was preparing to compete at the Miami Open when she learned of Koltsov's death. Although her coach, Anton Dubrov, encouraged her to step away from tennis and take time to grieve, Sabalenka said returning to the sport became a way for her to cope.
"Tennis really saved me from depression," she told Time. "I was just trying to focus on training, just so I spend less time with myself in my thoughts. I would cry in practice a lot. It was a very tough moment in my life."
Sabalenka and Koltsov had already ended their relationship before his death. She previously recalled learning about his passing on March 18, 2024, when police approached her while she was practicing on the tennis courts in Miami.
"I was fighting with the cop," she told Vogue in May. "I couldn't accept it."
Just days after learning of Koltsov's death, Sabalenka returned to competition at the Miami Open. She was defeated in the third round by Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina. Following the loss, Sabalenka smashed her racket and canceled her scheduled press conference, prompting criticism from some people online over her decision to compete so soon after the tragedy.
Looking back, Sabalenka said there is no universal way to grieve.
"I don't know if there's any cliché about how you're supposed to grieve," she said. "I feel like in this situation, there is no right and wrong."
For Sabalenka, returning to work was the way she managed to keep moving forward. She also acknowledged that she had experienced significant loss before, having lost her father, Sergey Sabalenka, to meningitis in 2019 when she was 21.
Five years later, she continues to feel the impact of his death, particularly as her tennis career has reached new heights. Sabalenka, who is now engaged to Georgios Frangulis, said she sometimes breaks down while watching social media videos involving fathers supporting their children.
She said seeing proud parents celebrate their children's athletic achievements makes her imagine how her own father would have reacted to her success.
"I'm crying like crazy, like I just lost him," she said, reflecting on the emotions that still return years later.
