Paula Badosa admits Aryna Sabalenka is going through a difficult time following the death of her partner Konstantin Koltsov, but has promised her friend “not to talk about” the situation in public.
The tennis community was left in shock on Tuesday after it was confirmed that former Belarus international and NHL ice hockey player Koltsov had passed away at the age of 42 in Miami.
Koltsov accompanied Sabalenka to various tournaments since their relationship became public in 2021 and she frequently posted messages about him on social media.
Despite the tragic news, the reigning Australian Open winner’s team have confirmed that she intends to play at this week’s WTA 1000 event and she was seen practicing at the event on Tuesday.
And in a twist of fate, she will face her good friend Badosa in the second round after the Spaniard came from behind to defeat Simona Halep 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in their opening encounter.
