Sloane Stephens appeared to be the first player on the Tour to reference the news – then unsubstantiated – that was swirling on social media. 

‘That moment when can actually feel the pain in your chest from hearing something or seeing something that breaks your heart,’ the former US Open champion wrote. 

Although Stephens was unwilling to stress what she was referring to, confirmation that the partner of two-time Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka had died served to make it near-impossible that Sabalenka’s former opponent could have been thinking of anything else. 

Not only were Sabalenka and Koltsov deeply, publicly, in love, but the tragedy was further underscored by his age. 

At just 42, his youth might have been jarring to casual followers of the world number two’s career, but to those who have had tracked Sabalenka for longer, it seems eerily close to the age of her father Sergey, whose death at 43 in 2019 sparked what has been a tragic and unsettling five-year period of the tennis star’s life.  

Aryna Sabalenka lost her boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov to a blood clot on Monday evening

Aryna Sabalenka lost her boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov to a blood clot on Monday evening

Aryna Sabalenka lost her boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov to a blood clot on Monday evening

The pair had been together for just three years after confirming their relationship in 2021

The pair had been together for just three years after confirming their relationship in 2021

The pair had been together for just three years after confirming their relationship in 2021

Koltsov's tragic death comes just five years after the world number two lost her father Sergey

Koltsov's tragic death comes just five years after the world number two lost her father Sergey

Koltsov’s tragic death comes just five years after the world number two lost her father Sergey

Her father was the first to introduce her to the sport after driving her past some empty tennis courts when she was just six years old. Interest piqued, he began to teach her, handing down his own athletic ambition after a car accident when he was 19 shattered his career as a professional ice hockey star. 

Sabalenka was scarcely older when she was forced to suffer the shock tragedy in November 2019, and forced to digest her bereavement during her sport’s off-season. 

‘During the pre-season it was tough to practice mentally,’ the then-21-year-old said upon her return to the tour at the 2020 Adelaide International in early January. ‘I didn’t think too much actually.’

But she had forced herself to leave Belarus because of almost primal tie to tennis, and the feeling of ‘having’ to enter into matches with the start of the new season. 

‘I’m just trying to fight because my dad wanted me to be No 1,’ she said at the time. ‘I’m doing it for him, so that’s what is helping me to be strong right now’.  

Winning at the Qatar Open in April that year marked her first trophy claimed after Sergey’s death, believed to be from transient meningitis, which she was quick to attribute to him, ‘her biggest motivation’. 

Indeed, much of her drive to reach the top has stemmed from her bid to not only memoralise him, but to learn from the tragic experience. 

Sabalenka's father is credited with introducing the two-time Grand Slam winner to the sport

Sabalenka's father is credited with introducing the two-time Grand Slam winner to the sport

Sabalenka's father is credited with introducing the two-time Grand Slam winner to the sport

Sabalenka's father is credited with introducing the two-time Grand Slam winner to the sport

Sabalenka’s father is credited with introducing the two-time Grand Slam winner to the sport

The 43-year-old died of transient meningitis in November 2019 - but Sabalenka was back competing again at the start of 2020

The 43-year-old died of transient meningitis in November 2019 - but Sabalenka was back competing again at the start of 2020

The 43-year-old died of transient meningitis in November 2019 – but Sabalenka was back competing again at the start of 2020

‘I think after I realised that there were so many things in life to worry about and tennis is only a small part of my life, in the big picture,’ Sabalenka said of the ‘turning point’ her father’s death had been in 2021.  

‘Obviously I don’t like to lose and I love tennis and I’ll do everything I can, but we have to enjoy our life, we have to enjoy our time on the court, enjoy the opportunities we have.’

But with his passing came a pressure, and the feeling of a responsibility to live up to their shared goals. During her episode in the second season of Netflix docu-series Break Point, Sabalenka was seen frustrated by her apparent failure to meet one specific target.  

‘I lost my father four years ago,’ Sabalenka told the camera. ‘We had one dream, that before 25 I will win a couple of grand slams. 

‘When he passed away, I started thinking too much about it. Now I’m 24 and there is zero in my pocket.’

But by January 2023, Sabalenka’s fortunes changed drastically with her first Australian Open win. The newly minted champion had previously shared that her relationship her mother Yulia had changed dramatically after her father’s death, due to how painful it felt to discuss him with her – prompting a total shut-down on mentioning Sergey with her family. 

In scenes captured in the aftermath of her win, Sabalenka admonishes her mother for bringing up her father and making her cry in front of the camera crew, explaining that in the midst of her titanic achievement, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January for the second year in a row at just 25 years old

Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January for the second year in a row at just 25 years old

Sabalenka won the Australian Open in January for the second year in a row at just 25 years old

In Netflix docu-series Break Point, Sabalenka spoke of her desire to claim the wins in her father's name

In Netflix docu-series Break Point, Sabalenka spoke of her desire to claim the wins in her father's name

In Netflix docu-series Break Point, Sabalenka spoke of her desire to claim the wins in her father’s name

‘It’s really sad because I really want him to be here,’ Sabalenka said. ‘I really want to call him and hear what he could say.’

Instead the 25-year-old could take scant consolation from his surname being engraved on the trophy.  

A year later, Sabalenka returned to her father again after completing the back-to-back successive Grand Slam victories

‘I just have to keep fighting for my dream and make sure that if there is something I want to believe (in) and there is something, that my father is watching me and very proud of me,’ she stressed. 

Her candour isn’t without purpose. Sabalenka stated in 2023 that she believes her story can ‘motivate people and help them find a way out of situations’. 

‘It’s hard to lose a loved one, especially a father. You have to find the motivation to move forward in life.’ 

For the past three years, Sabalenka has had Koltsov by her side. The former ice hockey player and assistant coach was not only a frequently guest in her player’s box on tour, but a devoted boyfriend on social media, where he often shared messages of love and support – most recently on International Women’s Day two weeks ago.  

Sabalenka is thought to have started dating Koltsov in June 2021, but the start of their relationship might have been more turbulent than at first glance, with Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija appearing to implicate the player in the breakdown of her marriage. 

In a post shared announcing her divorce from Koltsov in 2020, Julija- who shares sons Daniel, Alexander, and Stefan with her former husband – decried ‘girls who are hanging onto people’s husbands’ in her pointed caption. 

‘And now we will see who reads the posts (wink-face emoji, relief-laugh emoji) We live in a world of social networks and too many questions have accumulated… This will be the last photo with him on my insta where we are together and where we were insanely happy!!! (heart emoji)’ Julija wrote. 

Both Koltsov and Sabalenka shared their affection for one another on social media, with the former paying tribute to his girlfriend on International Women's Day this year

Both Koltsov and Sabalenka shared their affection for one another on social media, with the former paying tribute to his girlfriend on International Women's Day this year

Both Koltsov and Sabalenka shared their affection for one another on social media, with the former paying tribute to his girlfriend on International Women's Day this year

Both Koltsov and Sabalenka shared their affection for one another on social media, with the former paying tribute to his girlfriend on International Women's Day this year

Both Koltsov and Sabalenka shared their affection for one another on social media, with the former paying tribute to his girlfriend on International Women’s Day this year

Koltsov's ex-wife Julija previously appeared to accuse Sabalenka of being involved in the breakdown of her marriage

Koltsov's ex-wife Julija previously appeared to accuse Sabalenka of being involved in the breakdown of her marriage

Koltsov’s ex-wife Julija previously appeared to accuse Sabalenka of being involved in the breakdown of her marriage

Koltsov and his wife shared three sons - Alexander, Daniel, and Stefan - who Sabalenka seemed to grow close to

Koltsov and his wife shared three sons - Alexander, Daniel, and Stefan - who Sabalenka seemed to grow close to

Koltsov and his wife shared three sons – Alexander, Daniel, and Stefan – who Sabalenka seemed to grow close to

‘Pretty much our marriage is about to be a damn dozen. And we broke up. (Broken heart emoji) Our family couldn’t survive a year without Constantine’s work, a baby (respectively sleepless nights and tiredness(saddened emoji)) and coronavirus (feverish emoji) It happens… And it hurts. For some partners anyway! That’s it! (Konstantin has his own Instagram) I ask you to write to him directly now (relief-laugh emoji, wink emoji) and yes – we broke up – so we moved away! (this should explain the new apartment)

‘And an appeal to all the girls who are hanging on other people’s husbands with children in the family!!! This is mean !!!! This is the most amazing and the happiest time, but at the same time the most difficult, because a small child takes a lot of energy, energy and time… Maybe someday you’ll be there too…’

On the picture of her kissing her soon-to-be ex-husband, she tagged Sabalenka, in an apparent accusation of the then-21-year-old’s role in ending her marriage. 

This was not addressed by either Sabalenka or Koltsov either then, or later when they made their relationship public, and the couple’s relationship has since seen Sabalenka develop a connection with her boyfriend’s children. 

The player has previously shared pictures of Stefan, his youngest son, to her Instagram page, and in a Q&A hosted on the site, she suggested in 2022 ‘guessed’ that she would ‘make an amazing stepmother’.  

Just over a year after starting her relationship with Koltsov, however,  Sabalenka would be forced to confront a separate, more tangled challenge off the court alongside her playing career with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – and the scrutiny she would receive as the most high-profile Belarusian athlete on the tour. 

While not explicitly involved with the war in Ukraine, Belarus’ autocratic president Alexander Lukashenko is closely allied with Russia and Vladimir Putin, and allowed Russian troops stage part of the invasion from Belarus during the first two months of the aggression. 

Sabalenka came under fire for her apparent support of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured in 2018)

Sabalenka came under fire for her apparent support of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured in 2018)

Sabalenka came under fire for her apparent support of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko (pictured in 2018)

But Sabalenka appeared to condemn the violent crackdown on political protestors in 2020

But Sabalenka appeared to condemn the violent crackdown on political protestors in 2020

But Sabalenka appeared to condemn the violent crackdown on political protestors in 2020

Belarus has also played host to Russian missile launchers on its territories, and the two countries’ political alignment has seen them both punished by international sports governing bodies, with tennis players from both nations banned from Wimbledon in 2022, and still competing under a neutral flag across the ATP and WTA tours. 

Sabalenka has had a predictably complex relationship with the Belarusian state, as any high-performing athlete in a post-Soviet state where sporting aptitude translates to national success might. 

Hailed by Lukashenko for stepping into the Belarusian team to replace Viktoria Azarenka with her 2017 Fed Cup debut, Sabalenka was a repeat guest of Europe’s ‘last dictator’ and reportedly signed a letter in support of his violent suppression of protests against his fradulent 2020 election – despite sharing an Instagram post which could be seen to voice support for the protestors after three days of conflict in August of that year.

Belarus is a markedly unfree nation – with a score of 2/40 for political rights and 6/60 for civil liberties from think tank Freedom House – where bolder statements do not go unpunished, and over 6,000 protestors were thought to have been detained during the initial three nights of demonstrations. Sabalenka herself has been hesitant to make particular declarations against the war in Ukraine. 

As such, she has received criticism in marked contrast to more outspoken Russian players advocating against the war such as Andrey Rublev and Daria Kasatkina, after only making more critical statements in 2023. 

Her Australian Open victory at the start of that year was duly seized upon by Lukashenko, who crowed that her performance under a neutral flag was irrelevant, because everyone knew where she came from regardless. She cut a beleagured figure in Stuttgart months later when she stated that she was ‘pretty sure’ his comments ‘weren’t helping’ the issue which had pitted players against players behind the scenes. 

Sabalenka drew ire after apparently waiting for Elina Svitolina (foreground) to share her hand at last year's French Open

Sabalenka drew ire after apparently waiting for Elina Svitolina (foreground) to share her hand at last year's French Open

Sabalenka drew ire after apparently waiting for Elina Svitolina (foreground) to share her hand at last year’s French Open

The star had endured a complicated run-in with a Ukrainian journalist earlier in the tournament

The star had endured a complicated run-in with a Ukrainian journalist earlier in the tournament

The star had endured a complicated run-in with a Ukrainian journalist earlier in the tournament

The Ukrainian implied that Sabalenka was stoking controversy with her on-court behaviour

The Ukrainian implied that Sabalenka was stoking controversy with her on-court behaviour

The Ukrainian implied that Sabalenka was stoking controversy with her on-court behaviour

For some, her stance didn’t go far enough, with things coming to a head during the French Open when she was challenged by a Ukrainian journalist after her first round tie for her refusal to condemn the war and her apparent support of Lukashenko. 

‘I said it many, many times: nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war,’ an irritated Sabalenka told the journalist. ‘Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it.’

When encountering the same journalist after her second victory at Roland Garros, Sabalenka shut down, and later skipped the next two press conferences due to ‘not feeling safe’ and concern for her mental health. 

When she returned to the press room, the situation remained tense, and she was asked head-on if she did in fact support Lukashenko. Backed against a wall, the world No 2 offered her strongest pronouncement thus far.  

‘It’s a tough question. I mean, I don’t support war, meaning I don’t support Lukashenko right now,’ she said. ‘The thing is that I don’t want sport to be involved in politics, because I’m just a 25-year-old tennis player. And if I would like to be political I wouldn’t be here. I don’t want to be involved in any politics.’

‘Right now’ – whether spoken in earnest or stuck to the tongue of a player speaking a non-native language – rankled. It also added fuel to a fire started on the court, when during her quarter-final meeting with Elina Svitolina, she appeared to draw attention to the Ukrainian’s refusal to shake her hand after conceding defeat, prompting boos from the rambunctious Parisian crowds. 

That she didn’t know Svitolina was not shaking hands with Russian and Belarusian players seems indefensible – not only was Svitolina one of the most vocal and prominent Ukrainian players on the tour, but Sabalenka had previously acquiesced to the wishes of opponents who acted similarly. She said her lingering at the net had been ‘instinctive’ but it added murkiness to a complex situation – as did her fortright statement ahead of last year’s Wimbledon that she was not prepared to answer any question that didn’t relate to her tennis game. 

She had been bullish going into the tournament too about the ban the previous year, claiming that it had done ‘nothing’. On this point, it’s tricky to take a different position. The war roils on, and 2022 women’s singles winner Elena Rybakina may have been competing under the flag of Kazakhstan, but she’s Moscow born-and-bred – and equally claimable, as Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev showed with his jingoistic comments after her victory. 

During her turn on Break Point, Sabalenka doubled-down on her wish for the conflict to end, and hinted that the pressure of her nationality had become burdensome under the circumstances. 

‘Everyone started talking about, “You have to ban all the players from Russia and Belarus”,’ Sabalenka said, ‘and I thought that everyone is looking weird to me, you know? I felt like everyone hates me because of my country.’

In 2022 Moscow-born Elena Rybakina won the women's singles under the flag of Kazakhstan

In 2022 Moscow-born Elena Rybakina won the women's singles under the flag of Kazakhstan

In 2022 Moscow-born Elena Rybakina won the women’s singles under the flag of Kazakhstan

After her form dipped in the same year, Sabalenka considered quitting tennis all together

After her form dipped in the same year, Sabalenka considered quitting tennis all together

After her form dipped in the same year, Sabalenka considered quitting tennis all together

In a later scene in the documentary, the pressure of hateful comments on social media sites and uneven form compel Sabalenka to consider quitting, as she tells her team: ‘Don’t tell me not to worry. Now everyone is watching me f***ing losing it. I just don’t want to play tennis anymore. End of. It’s all telling me I should quit’. 

But in the end, it came back to her father. 

‘Honestly, I thought that I was going to stop playing tennis because it was so bad. But it was our dream with my dad and I was like, “I cannot quit. He wouldn’t accept this.”‘

Since almost the very beginning of her career, the hard-hitting tennis star has had prove her determination and resilience in the face of unimaginable setbacks.  After another tragedy, she may have to rebuild and do so all over again.  

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