Konstantin Koltsov, boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and former NHL player, the American ice hockey league, has died at the age of 42. The Belarusian would have died due to a blood clot located in a vital organ, while he was in Miami accompanying his partner, according to the media smartpress.by.
Koltsov, who had a romantic relationship since July 2021 with the number two in the WTA ranking, Aryna Sabalenka, was an ice hockey player for 18 seasons, until 2016. During his career he participated in two Olympic Games and ten World Cups, in addition to having played for four seasons in the Pittsburgh Penguins of the American NHL, the best league in the world.
Koltsov, who had three children from a previous relationship, served as an assistant coach for Salavat Yulaev, a Russian hockey team. Precisely, it was the Soviet team who announced the death of the Belarusian through their social networks in a statement.
Koltsov’s death comes five years after Sabalenka’s father Sergey, also a former ice hockey player, died of a heart attack at the age of 43.
The number two in the WTA ranking, who won the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, was going to compete in the Miami Masters 1,000, which starts tomorrow. Although he has not made a statement yet, it is very likely that Sabalenka will not compete in Florida.
