Aryna Sabalenka opens up about the tragic deaths of her father and ex-partner in emotional interview

WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about the tragic deaths she has had to deal with during her tennis career in an emotional interview, just days before she competes at the French Open.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, is currently preparing for the French Open, which gets under way on May 24, having been beaten in the third round of the Italian Open by Sorana Cîrstea.

While she is the ultimate competitor on the tennis court, away from sport she has had to deal with several tragedies in her personal life.

In 2019, when she was still just 21, Sabalenka’s father, Sergey, died of meningitis while she was training in the Belarusian capital of Minsk.

After her mother called an ambulance, paramedics managed to lower his temperature. However, the next day, his fever returned.

Recalling that moment, Sabalenka told Vogue: “I was like, let me fucking carry him to the hospital myself if the ambulance isn’t taking him.

“They took him on the third day, and it was too late. It was even harder for my mum. And I didn’t realise until later how much my sister suffered. We were both daddy’s little girls.”

Since her father’s death, Sabalenka has won four Grand Slam crowns – two US Opens and two Australian Opens.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner rules out playing at several tournaments as fitness claim made before French Open

Six years on, Sabalenka admitted she still sometimes becomes overwhelmed with emotion when watching social media videos featuring fathers.

She added: “Nowadays, my fiancé will find me crying in bed in the evening because I’m watching Reels and there’s something about a father, or old times. The most sensitive videos for me are when I see people posting a family reaction to their child athlete winning something, and I just imagine how my dad would react to me. I’m crying like crazy, like I just lost him. There are so many fathers on tour, and when I see a healthy relationship and a proud dad, I think, Girl, just enjoy it, because you never know what’s coming. You’re so lucky.”

Sabalenka opens up about ex-partner's death

Five years after the death of her beloved father, Sabalenka once again suffered a tragic loss when her ex-boyfriend and professional ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov died by “apparent suicide” at a hotel in Miami, Florida.

Sabalenka was practising when she learned of the tragic news.

“I was fighting with the cop — like, I couldn’t accept it,” she recalled.

The Belarusian decided to compete in the Miami Open just days later, before losing to Anhelina Kalinina in the third round. After the match, she received criticism on social media for returning to action so soon after Koltsov’s death.

“I don’t know if there’s any cliché about how you’re supposed to grieve,” she said.

“I feel like in this situation, there is no right and wrong. We all need different things. For me, going back to work is the only way. I’m 28, but sometimes I think I’ve had everything in life that you could imagine.”