Aryna Sabalenka opens up on regret over her actions in the wake of ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov’s death – after tennis star called new beau Georgios Frangulis ‘love of my life’

Aryna Sabalenka opens up about the mental turmoil she went through after the tragic death of her ex-boyfriend.

Former NHL player and fellow American Konstantin Koltsov died at the age of 42 after falling from a balcony on the 23rd floor of a five-star hotel in Miami.

At the time, it was widely believed that Kolstov was still in a relationship with the world No. 2 tennis player. However, Sabalenka later stated that “although we were no longer together, my heart was broken.”

Despite the “unthinkable tragedy,” Sabalenka remained fully committed to her career on the court, just as she did after the death of her father Sergei in 2019.

The day after Kolstov’s death, Sabalenka was spotted training in preparation for the Miami Open, where a few days later she defeated her good friend Paula Badosa and was eliminated in the round of 16 by Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina.

Former NHL player and Sabalenka’s compatriot Konstantin Koltsov passed away this year

However, five months later, the tennis star admits she should have dealt with the tragic loss differently.

“I once lost my father and tennis helped me deal with that heavy loss,” she said in a recent interview with The guard.

So at that moment [of Koltsov’s death] I thought I just had to keep going, keep playing, keep doing my own thing to separate my personal life from my career.

“But ultimately I would say I struggled a lot with my health because I didn’t stop. It was very emotional and very stressful, and it kind of damaged my mental health at the time.

‘Looking back now, I would probably say it would have been a better decision to take a step back, reset and recharge, and start over. But I did what I did. Ultimately, I paid for my decision, but I’m really glad I have tennis in my life and it’s really helped me get through everything and become stronger.’

Sabalenka eventually had to take a break from tennis after missing Wimbledon with a shoulder injury. However, she returned to the tour and won the Cincinnati Open last week, her first title since the Australian Open in January.

She made the most of her enforced break by traveling with her new partner, 35-year-old Brazilian health food magnate and stock car racer Georgios Frangulis.

Last month, Sabalenka responded to a post Franguilis shared in Portuguese: “The love of my life.”

Koltsov died in March at age 42 after falling from a 23rd-floor hotel balcony in Miami

Koltsov played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and represented Belarus at two Winter Olympics

Miami police say Belarusian former professional hockey player has died at the St Regis Bal Harbour Resort

Frangulis is the founder of the superfood brand Oakberry, one of the sponsors of the Formula 1 team Haas.

After the pair were spotted kissing at a recent tournament, a tennis fan reportedly sent a private message to Frangulis’ wife of eight years, Beh Armentano, asking if Sabalenka had “interrupted her wedding.”

She is said to have replied: ‘I am married to Georgios, but I will file for divorce. They have been having an affair since California.’

According to her Facebook page, Armentano married Frangulis on October 1, 2016.

It is unclear when he first met Sabalenka, but she too has been linked to his brand after signing a two-year sponsorship deal in January, just days before she was set to successfully defend her Australian Open title.

Some fans were shocked that Sabalenka had gone public with her new romance so soon after the death of Koltsov, her partner of four years, after he fell 23 stories from the balcony of a five-star hotel in Miami on March 18.

Police at the time called Koltsov’s death an “apparent suicide.”

The world No. 2 called her new boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, the love of her life

Sabalenka won the Cincinnati Open last weekend after suffering a shoulder injury earlier this year

His ex-wife Julia Mikhailova said she was convinced her husband had been drinking on the night of the tragedy and that his death was an accident.

She said Koltsov had planned to visit her and her sons Daniil (18), Alexander (16) and five-year-old Stefan at their home, a mile from the scene of the tragedy.

No suicide note was found and Mikhailova said her ex-husband was looking forward to dinner with the children.

Latvian-born Mikhailova was heartbroken when Koltsov left home when the youngest of their three children was still a toddler.