Months after the death of world number two tennis player Aryna Sabalenka’s ex-boyfriend, the Belarusian tennis player spoke out about the death and how she didn’t give herself enough time to process what had happened.
Sabalenka made the revelation in an interview with The Guardian published on Wednesday ahead of next week’s U.S. Open.
Former NHL player Konstantin Koltsov died after falling from a balcony at a five-star hotel in Miami in March.
At the time, it was reported that the pair were dating, but Sabalenka clarified that although she was “heartbroken”, they were not in a relationship.
It was one of the few statements she made in the aftermath of the tragedy, aside from a message thanking fans for their support.
Now, five months later, she admits she would have handled things differently if it were possible.
Just as she did after her father died in 2019, Sabalenka quickly returned to tennis.
Sabalenka was seen practicing ahead of the Miami Open the day after Koltsov’s death.
“I lost my father once, and tennis helped me get through that painful loss,” she said. “So at that moment (when Koltsov died), I just knew I had to keep going, keep playing, keep my personal life separate from my career and keep doing what I do.”
“But ultimately, I think not quitting really caused me a lot of problems health-wise. It was really emotional, it was really stressful and my mental health at that point really took a turn for the worse.”
April 15, 2006 against the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum. Getty Images
Sabalenka added that she thought it would have been “the better decision” to take a step back and “regain my energy.”
“I would do it all again,” she added, “but I did what I had to do. In the end I paid the price for my decision, but I’m so glad I had tennis in my life, it helped me to face any challenge and become stronger.”
The 26-year-old has been forced to take a break from tennis over the past few months, having missed Wimbledon with a shoulder injury and then the French Open and Italian Open due to illness.
“It was only after I got injured and had to retire that I realised how much I needed it,” Sabalenka told the outlet.
“In the end, I realized it was so much needed. I feel so much better and much stronger now, both physically and mentally,” she added.
Sabalenka comes into the U.S. Open in a favorable position after winning the Cincinnati Open.
