- The cause of death of Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend has been revealed
- Belarusian media reports that he died of ‘a detached blood clot’
- Konstantin Kolstov had been dating Sabalenka for three years
The boyfriend of Aryna Sabalenka’s cause of death has been revealed, with reports in his native Belarus claiming the 42-year-old died of ‘a detached blood clot.’
Former ice hockey player Konstantin Kolstov was confirmed dead by his former club Salavat Yulaev Ufa on social messaging site Telegram on Tuesday, the coach having dated Australian Open champion Sabalenka, 25, for three years.
Sabalenka is in Miami preparing for the upcoming Miami Open, where she is seeded second, and Koltsov is thought to have joined her in Florida before his shock passing.
‘It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away,’ the Russian club’s statement read.
‘He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin 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.
‘May his memory burn bright.’
According to Belarusian media outlet Telegraf, Kolstov died of ‘a detached blood clot.’
The same outlet reports that on the day before his death, he planned not to renew his contract with the Russian hockey team, where he had been coaching for the past two seasons.
The death of the world number two’s partner comes just five years after the player lost her father Sergey following his sudden death at 43.
Like Koltsov, Sabalenka’s father had also played professional ice hockey, and the Belarusian athlete has often spoken of the motivation her father’s passing her inspired in her tennis game.
After winning her second Australian Open title in January, Sabalenka achieved a feat she had previously discussed on an episode of Netflix’s tennis docu-series Break Point.
‘We had one dream: that before 25, I will win a couple of Grand Slams,’ the then-24-year-old said.
‘Now I’m 24 and there is zero in my pocket’.
Sabalenka and Koltsov are thought to have dated for three years, after first being linked in June 2021 and the world number two has frequently posted photos of them together on her Instagram account.
‘I love you @koltsov2021,’ she wrote in one post that included heart and other emojis.
‘Happy birthday my love. You are my dearest person, my best friend and my strongest support. Peace be with you, strength, patience and health.
‘I hope we will have everything we planned I love you.’
Most recently, Koltsov supported Sabalenka in Melbourne and watcher her hoist aloft the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for the second year in a row.
Koltsov is believed to have three sons from a previous relationship named Daniel, Alexander and Stefan.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
