Former hockey player Koltsov, boyfriend of tennis star Sabalenka, dies at 43

Former Belarusian ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, a friend of fellow tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 43, according to what the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation announced on Tuesday.

The Belarusian Federation said in a brief statement that Koltsov "died suddenly," without specifying the cause of death or the place.

He added through his account on the “X” platform: “We are in mourning,” adding, “The Belarusian Hockey Federation offers its sincere condolences to his family, friends, and everyone who knew Konstantin and worked with him.”

At the beginning of his ice hockey career, Koltsov played with a number of Russian and Belarusian teams before moving to the American Pittsburgh Penguins. He returned to Belarus and then Russia before retiring in 2016.

His girlfriend Sabalenka (25 years old), ranked second in the world and twice the holder of the Australian Open, the first of the four major tennis tournaments, has not made any statement yet.

Sabalenka, who was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the American Indian Wells 1000-point tournament last week, is scheduled to participate in the Miami 1000-point tournament as well, which begins next Friday.