In Saturday’s Madrid Open final, Aryna Sabalenka was defeated by Iga Swiatek in a three-set tiebreaker.
Following the match, the tennis star made reference to a recent personal tragedy while speaking to the crowd.
Last month, former NHL player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Konstantin Koltsov, tragically passed away in what was ruled as an apparent suicide.
RELATED:
Sabalenka, who had been in a relationship with Koltsov for nearly three years, openly acknowledged the challenging time she has been going through during her finalist speech.
“Last month has been kind of intense for me, and it feels like I haven’t been on stage forever,” Sabalenka said, via the New York Post. “I’m speechless right now.”
She thanked her “incredible team” for helping her through everything.
“I’m pretty sure I have the best team with me,” she added. “You help me through a lot. You always keep me going. Thank you so much, and I love you.”
Sabalenka, who clinched her second consecutive Australian Open title in January, opted out of media availability during her participation in the Miami Open.
Unfortunately, she was eliminated in the second round by Anhelina Kalinina.
Despite this setback, the world’s No. 2 player bounced back and progressed to the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open in late April.
In a highly anticipated final rematch, Sabalenka faced off against Swiatek, the top-ranked player, ultimately falling short.
It’s worth noting that Sabalenka had emerged victorious in their previous encounter in 2023.
While Sabalenka has chosen not to publicly address Koltsov’s passing, she did share a statement on Instagram last month.
“Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka wrote. “Please respect my privacy and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
