SABALENKA SAYS TENNIS HELPED HER THROUGH DEPRESSION AFTER EX'S DEATH

Aryna Sabalenka has revealed that tennis helped prevent her from developing depression following the death of her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in March 2024. Koltsov died in Miami-Dade County, Florida, five days after Sabalenka lost to Emma Navarro at Indian Wells. Speaking to TIME two years later, Sabalenka stated: "Tennis really saved me from depression. I was just trying to focus on training, just so I spend less time with myself in my thoughts. I would cry in practice a lot."

After Koltsov's death, Sabalenka issued a statement clarifying that they were no longer in a relationship at the time of his passing, though she described the loss as an "unthinkable tragedy". She requested privacy for herself and his family as they navigated the difficult period. Despite the shock, Sabalenka competed at the Miami Open shortly afterwards, losing to Anhelina Kalinina in the Round of 32. Over the following months, she reached multiple tournament finals and semifinals, winning the Cincinnati Open and the US Open title at Flushing Meadows.

This was not Sabalenka's first experience of significant personal loss. In 2019, her father, Sergey, died from meningitis. She won the Australian Open in 2023, dedicating that Grand Slam title to her father's memory. Sabalenka has previously spoken about the emotional toll of loss and her reliance on competitive tennis as a means of processing grief.