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Aryna Sabalenka Miami Open

Ex-wife rules out suicide: Sabalenka’s boyfriend was drunk, fatal fall was an accident

Sabalenka with boyfriend Koltsov

Monday’s sudden death of Aryna Sabalenka‘s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov shocked the world, leading to several theories circulating in the media regarding the cause. Initial reports suggested a blood clot, then it was said to be a suicide, while the latest development comes from Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija Mihailova who claims the cause of death was an accident.

Sabalenka with boyfriend Koltsov

Latvia-born Mihailova, who resides in the USA and is close to the location of the accident, believes that Koltsov’s death was not intentional. According to her interview with Zerkalo, Koltsov was intoxicated and accidentally fell from the balcony of the skyscraper hotel:

Most likely, he was very drunk. Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of this. Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Konstantin stayed. There was a balcony overlooking the ocean.

She pointed out that Koltsov had made bookings for further accommodation and rented a car for an extended period, indicating that he had plans beyond that day:

We still have the old family computer with Konstantin’s email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Konstantin had further apartments booked in another location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. Rented a car for a long time. That is, he did not intend to die. Anything, of course, can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.

The tragedy has deeply affected Mihailova’s older sons, Daniel and Alexander, who are 18 and 16 years old, as they are fully aware of the circumstances. On the other hand, Stefan, the five-year-old, believes that his father is now in heaven.

Despite past tensions, Mihailova expressed that her feelings towards Sabalenka have evolved and that she now considers her a good person. She recalled a post from four years ago where she called out Sabalenka for being involved with Koltsov, but she clarified that it was driven by emotions and pain at the time:

Nice girl. My post a few years ago was dictated by emotions, it was very painful. I loved Konstantin very much… But Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.

Koltsov will be laid to rest in his birth country of Belarus.

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open

In the midst of this tragedy, Sabalenka has shown resilience by choosing to compete at the Miami Open. She is set to face her best friend Paula Badosa in the tournament’s second round on Friday.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Two days after Koltsov’s passing, Aryna Sabalenka makes a shocking revelation that he was actually her ex-boyfriend at the time of the tragedy.

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Miami Open Simona Halep

Halep reacts to Wozniacki’s comment that dopers should not be given wildcards

Simona Halep waves to the Miami crowd with a smile on her face

Despite losing her first match following her return from a doping ban, Simona Halep is thrilled to be competing again, displaying nothing but positive emotions about her return to tennis, as evidenced by the wide smile on her face. Not even Caroline Wozniacki’s negative comments that dopers should not be awarded wildcards could ruin the Romanian’s good mood.

Simona Halep waves to the Miami crowd with a smile on her face

Playing her first tennis match in 18 months, after having her four-year doping ban reduced to nine months, Halep lost 1-6 6-4 6-3 to Paula Badosa in the first round of the Miami Open. Even though her comeback was not victorious, the former world No.1 has a different perspective now, and left the court with a wide smile on her face, happy to even have an opportunity to compete. She later shared on social media: “Today will always feel like a victory.”

Simona Halep at the 2024 Miami Open

Taking a seat at the post-match press conference, brimming with happiness and excitement, Halep’s first comment was: “I missed this.” She went on to share that the positive energy from the crowd during her match had energized her, leading to a flood of positive emotions and a general feeling of acceptance. Additionally, she expressed satisfaction with the level of play she exhibited in her first match back. All in all, the two-time Grand Slam champion will forever remember it as “a special day” in her life.

Reflecting on her journey, the 32-year-old acknowledged that the announcement of her original four-year doping ban was the lowest point of her absence. She admitted that without the ban reduction, her career would most likely have ended. “Four years, it’s a lot, and I’m not that young anymore,” she stated. “But it didn’t happen, so I’m happy I’m here today.”

Not even Caroline Wozniacki’s remarks that dopers should not get wildcards on their return could phase Halep. The Romanian reminded everyone that the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her intake of a prohibited substance as unintentional (a consequence of a contaminated supplement), therefore, she was not a doper.

Although she didn’t explicitly refer to Halep, the former world No.1 Wozniacki stated that players that served a doping ban “should work their way up from the bottom”. Halep’s response to that was: “Why she said that? Because I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t dope.” Halep thanked the Miami Open tournament for giving her a wildcard and proceeded to comment on Wozniacki: “Only one person being negative about me is not that important, because I have hundreds of people giving me love.”

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Miami Open Paula Badosa Simona Halep

Miami Open: Halep narrowly loses first match since doping ban

Simona Halep at the 2024 Miami Open

After an extended absence from competition and a challenging battle to overturn a doping ban, Simona Halep returned to the court at the Miami Open. Despite a strong start, the former world No.1 was unable to maintain her momentum and fell to Paula Badosa in a hard-fought three-set match, 1-6 6-4 6-3.

Simona Halep at the 2024 Miami Open

Halep showed no signs of rust in the early stages, swiftly taking the first set 6-1 by breaking Badosa’s serve three times. However, Badosa responded strongly, maintaining a break lead she earned early in the second set and eventually converting her fourth set point to force a decider. Despite Halep’s successful efforts to recover from a break down and level the score at 2-2 in the third set, she couldn’t sustain the necessary resistance, dropping serve twice more.

In the first-round encounter, Halep committed 10 double faults. Still, she managed to keep her unforced errors lower than her opponent, with 39 compared to Badosa’s 53. However, Badosa’s aggressive play saw her hitting more winners, with 35 to Halep’s 18, ultimately contributing to her victory in the match.

The former world No.2 Badosa was an undeniably challenging opponent for Halep, who was playing her first match since the 2022 US Open, even though the two-time Grand Slam champion had previously dominated their head-to-head matchups, losing just seven games across two meetings.

Badosa has faced limited playtime recently, having been sidelined for the entire second half of the 2023 season due to injuries. Her struggles with staying healthy have persisted into this year, hampering her efforts to properly kickstart her 2024 season. Indian Wells was particularly challenging for Badosa, as it marked the third out of six tournaments where she either lost a match via walkover or withdrew after the draw was made. As a result, her ranking has dropped to No.80.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently ruled that Halep’s positive test for the blood-boosting prohibited substance roxadustat during the 2022 US Open was not intentional. This decision resulted in a reduction of her doping ban from four years to nine months, a period that expired on July 6, 2023. Halep attributed the incident to a contaminated supplement and fought tirelessly to prove her innocence.

Badosa’s second-round opponent will be her very close friend Aryna Sabalenka, whom she refers to as her soulmate. The second-seeded Sabalenka made a bold decision to play the tournament despite the tragic event that struck her less than 48 hours ago in Miami. Namely, her boyfriend Konstantin Kolsov committed suicide by jumping from a balcony of their hotel in Miami on Monday.

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Aryna Sabalenka Miami Open

Sabalenka makes unexpected decision following boyfriend’s death

Aryna Sabalenka

Still in shock from her boyfriend’s sudden death, alleged suicide, Aryna Sabalenka made the decision to play the Miami Open, but without giving interviews to the media at the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka

The tennis and hockey communities were stunned by the sudden passing of Sabalenka’s long-term boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. Initial reports suggested that his death was due to a blood clot, but it has since been revealed that the former hockey player took his own life by jumping from a hotel in Miami on Monday, March 18.

Koltsov, aged 42, had been a constant presence at his girlfriend’s tennis tournaments worldwide, with their latest stop being the Miami Open. CNN reported, “The Miami-Dade Police Department, Homicide Bureau, responded and has taken over the investigation of the apparent suicide of Mr. Konstantin Koltsov … No foul play is suspected.”

Despite initial speculation that Sabalenka might withdraw from the Miami Open following this tragic event, she has chosen to participate. However, she has decided to forgo media interviews during the tournament to protect her emotional well-being.

The Belarusian tennis player is seeded No.2 at the WTA 1000 event. Her first opponent will be the winner of a first-round blockbuster between Paula Badosa and Simona Halep, who will be playing her first tournament since returning from the doping ban. Wearing all black, Sabalenka was spotted training in Miami on Tuesday.

IMPORTANT UPDATES: The latest development comes from Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija Mihailova who claims that he must have been very drunk and accidentally fallen from the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami. Two days after Koltsov’s passing Sabalenka made a shocking revelation that he was actually her ex-boyfriend at the time of the tragedy.

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Aryna Sabalenka

Major twist: Latest reports claim Sabalenka’s boyfriend committed suicide in Miami

Sabalenka with boyfriend Koltsov

While recent reports from Belarusian media claimed that a blood clot caused the untimely death of Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov, the latest information reveals that the former hockey player committed suicide!

Sabalenka with boyfriend Koltsov

Koltsov regularly attended tennis tournaments around the world to support his girlfriend, so he also accompanied her in Miami as she was supposed to play the Miami Open tournament as the second seed. On Tuesday, the sports world was stunned to learn of his passing at the age of 42, a tragedy confirmed by the Russian club Salavat Yulaev. Initial reports suggested that a blood clot was the cause of death, but new information indicates that Koltsov may have jumped from a hotel balcony.

“According to investigators on Monday, March 18, 2024, at approximately 12:39 a.m., Bal Harbour Police and Fire Rescue were dispatched to the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, 9703 Collins Avenue,” the Miami-Dade Police Department told CNN.

“The Miami-Dade Police Department, Homicide Bureau, responded and has taken over the investigation of the apparent suicide of Mr. Konstantin Koltsov … No foul play is suspected.”

Before entering a relationship with Sabalenka, Koltsov was previously married and has three children from that union. The couple made their relationship public in June 2021. In her birthday message to Koltsov in April last year, the two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka called him her “dearest person, my best friend, and my strongest support.” She expressed her hope that they would have everything they planned and ended the message with “I love you.”

IMPORTANT UPDATES: The latest development comes from Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija Mihailova who claims that he must have been very drunk and accidentally fallen from the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami. Not long after the disturbing news, Sabalenka confirmed that she would not withdraw from the Miami Open and two days after Koltsov’s passing the Belarusian tennis player made a shocking revelation that he was actually her ex-boyfriend at the time of the tragedy.

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Aryna Sabalenka

New details revealed: This caused the sudden death of Sabalenka’s boyfriend

Aryna Sabalenka with her boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov

Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov suddenly passed away at the age of 42 while accompanying her at the Miami Open tennis tournament. According to the latest Belarusian media reports, the reason for his untimely death was a detached blood clot.

Aryna Sabalenka with her boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov

The ex-hockey player Koltsov’s passing was confirmed by his former club, Salavat Yulaev, on the social messaging site Telegram on Tuesday.

“With deep sorrow, we inform you that Salavat Yulaev coach Konstantin Koltsov has passed away,” the Russian club from the city of Ufa broke the news that shook the tennis world. “He was a strong and cheerful person, loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Yevgeniyevich has forever inscribed himself in the history of our club.”

There is currently no information about whether Koltsov had any previous health problems, while everyone is also waiting for the tennis player to comment. Reportedly, on the day before his death, he had decided not to renew his contract with the Russian hockey team where he had been coaching for the past two seasons.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka and Koltsov began sharing their relationship with the public in June 2021. There was a veil of drama and mystery surrounding the couple, as Koltsov was notably older than the 25-year-old Sabalenka and had three children from his previous marriage with Julija Mihailova (sons Daniel, Alexander and Stefan). The tension escalated when the ex-wife shared her bitterness about Koltsov’s refreshed love life on Instagram.

Sabalenka’s life has been marred by tragedies, as she lost her father, also a hockey player, in November 2019 when he was in his early 40s. It was her father, Sergey, who introduced her to tennis at the age of six, but he passed away before he could witness his daughter lift two major trophies in Melbourne and reach the No.1 ranking.

IMPORTANT UPDATES: Initial reports suggested a blood clot was the cause of death, then it was said to be a suicide, while the latest development comes from Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija Mihailova who claims that he must have been very drunk and accidentally fallen from the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami. Not long after the disturbing news, Sabalenka confirmed that she would not withdraw from the Miami Open and two days after Koltsov’s passing the Belarusian tennis player made a shocking revelation that he was actually her ex-boyfriend at the time of the tragedy.

Categories
Aryna Sabalenka

Tragedy strikes Aryna Sabalenka! The tennis star’s boyfriend passes away at the age of 42

Shock. Disbelief. Tragedy. Konstantin Koltsov, former Belarusian professional hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, passed away at the age of 42, announced the Russian club Salavat Yulaev on Tuesday.

“With deep sorrow, we inform you that Salavat Yulaev coach Konstantin Koltsov has passed away,” starts the statement from Salavat Yulaev, based in the Russian city of Ufa. “He was a strong and cheerful person, loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Yevgeniyevich has forever inscribed himself in the history of our club.”

Koltsov played for the Belarus national team at the 2002 and 2010 Olympic Games and spent part of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 to 2006. He won the Russian championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev and did a tremendous job in the team’s coaching staff.

Sabalenka and Koltsov were first linked in June 2021 and the world No.2 tennis player often posted their photos together on her Instagram account. The premature passing of her boyfriend is the second tragedy in the 25-year-old WTA star’s life. Her father, also a former ice hockey player, passed away suddenly at the age of 43 in 2019.

Aryna Sabalenka at her most recent tournament, the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells
Aryna Sabalenka at her most recent tournament, the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells

In her birthday message to Koltsov in April last year, the two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka called him her “dearest person, my best friend, and my strongest support.” Sabalenka also wished her 42-year-old boyfriend “peace of mind” with her and “strength, patience, and health.” She expressed her hope that they would have everything they planned and ended the message with “I love you.” Responding to his girlfriend’s birthday message, Koltsov left a comment saying, “love you madly,” accompanied by a cluster of red heart emojis.

Koltsov is survived by three children from his previous relationship with Julija Mihailova.

Sabalenka lost in the round of 16 at Indian Wells last week, and she is now scheduled to compete in Miami. However, there is little chance that she will have the strength to do so after such a shock and tragedy.

IMPORTANT UPDATES: Initial reports suggested a blood clot was the cause of death, then it was said to be a suicide, while the latest development comes from Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija Mihailova who claims that he must have been very drunk and accidentally fallen from the 23rd floor of the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami. Not long after the disturbing news, Sabalenka confirmed that she would not withdraw from the Miami Open and two days after Koltsov’s passing the Belarusian tennis player made a shocking revelation that he was actually her ex-boyfriend at the time of the tragedy.

Categories
BNP Paribas Open Iga Swiatek Maria Sakkari

Swiatek after Indian Wells title: “Zendaya can practice with me any time”

Iga Swiatek with Zendaya
Iga Swiatek with Zendaya after the 2024 BNP Paribas Open final

Iga Swiatek was treated to a special meet-and-greet after her dominant victory over Maria Sakkari in the Indian Wells championship match Sunday. Dune actress Zendaya joined the Polish WTA star to promote her new film Challengers, in which she portrays a tennis player.

Iga Swiatek with Zendaya
Iga Swiatek with Zendaya after the 2024 BNP Paribas Open final

Still riding the high of her victory, the two-time BNP Paribas Open winner was in great spirits and told the media, “Meeting Zendaya was crazy, but on the other hand, she’s a human like all of us. I was just happy that she’s enjoying tennis.” Swiatek added, “She can practice with me any time if she wants to.” The real-life tennis player takes none of it for granted, saying, “I feel pretty privileged that I’m in this place where I can meet these kinds of people.”

The four-time Slam champion is pleased with the big success and points that come with it fairly early in the season, “It hasn’t been easy after Australia, and I’ve been working hard to play well and to handle everything mentally well. I’m just proud of myself because of that.”

Mental strength and unshakeable confidence were key in top-seed’s run through the tournament, in which she did not drop a set: “You can’t control your thoughts usually. They will come. The question is how are you going to handle them and what are you going to do with them? But usually when you don’t want to think about something it’s going to start popping in your head anyway. It’s not easy to control that.”

Meeting with press after her disappointing defeat in the final, Sakkari was proud of what she accomplished and provided great insight into what it is like to face a player of Swiatek’s caliber. The world No.9 said, “When you play Iga, Sabalenka, Rybakina, all the players, Coco, Jess, you have like two, three chances in the match and you have to take them. If you don’t take them, then it’s ciao-ciao.”

In 2021, Sakkari had won her first three encounters with Swiatek, but lost the three played since then. Asked what changed, the Greek said “I think it’s that she has started working with Tomasz. She’s very different to what she was before. Obviously, she has had an incredible success the last two years and she’s a different player to when I beat her.”

Sakkari explained further, “It requires something extra for me in order to get back on that winning record against her. She just doesn’t miss as much as she did before, and she’s on top of it all the time, you have to be very aggressive… Elena knows, she has a big serve, she’s going to hit hard. Same with Sabalenka. They are all going to try to be aggressive with her. Nobody is going to stay two meters behind the baseline and grind with her because they have no chance.”

Time will tell, but the two-time Indian Wells runner-up Sakkari is convinced that she will claim the title in the future: “I like the conditions here. The bounce is high, the ball goes. I’ve played two finals and a semi in the last three years. I really believe that I’m going to get this one day.”

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BNP Paribas Open Iga Swiatek Maria Sakkari

Iga Swiatek lifts Indian Wells trophy a second time

Iga Swiatek defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-0 to claim the BNP Paribas Open title for a second time. The match lasted just an hour and eight minutes. The eventual winner broke early for a 3-0 lead in the first set, they equalized at 3-3 and again at 4-4 before Swiatek ran away with the last eight games of the match.

The world No.1 Swiatek was firing on all cylinders, moving her opponent across the court and carefully placing powerful shots off both wings. The world No.9 Sakkari won only 44% of first serve points and 24% of first return points. Addressing the crowd after the match, the runner-up appologized that she could not offer a more competitive match.

The crowd this year drew a number of celebrities, including Charlize Theron who is a regular at the event. Tom Holland and Zendaya were also in attendance, promoting her new tennis-themed film Challengers.

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Maria Timofeeva

Maria Timofeeva introduces Fourteen sportswear

Maria Timofeeva made waves on her Grand Slam debut at the 2024 Australian Open, reaching the fourth round and catching attention with her vibrant Bidi Badu outfits. The Russian tennis player has now switched apparel sponsors, anouncing a new partnership with Fourteen, a brand describing itself as “performance sportswear made with Swiss precision.”

 

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A post shared by Masha Timofeeva (@timofeevamariaa)

The 20-year-old Timofeeva revealed her new tennis clothing sponsor on Instagram. The WTA world No.102 delighted fans by sharing on-court snapshots dressed in various Fourteen outfits. In her post, the Budapest 2023 WTA titleholder expressed her excitement about the new deal, stating:

Entering the new tournament week in my new Fourteen kit. Happy to be a part of the team!

Fourteen is a Swiss sportswear company founded in Geneva, specializing in producing and marketing sportswear for a wide range of sports, both team and individual. They combine Swiss precision with Italian style to create unique products that meet high expectations. Their “custom-made” approach and focus on quality allow them to find innovative solutions for clubs of amateurs and professional athletes, federations, associations, schools, companies, and private customers.

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