Tennis world No.2, ARYNA SABALENKA's boyfriend KONSTANTIN KOLTSOV 'was likely very drunk' when he fell from 23rd floor of hotel, claims his ex-wife

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 – Konstantin Koltsov, the boyfriend of tennis superstar Aryna Sabalenka, 'was very likely drunk' when he fell to his death in Miami, his ex-wife has claimed.

Police confirmed on Tuesday, March 19, that Koltsov, who had been dating Australian Open champion Sabalenka, 25, for three years, died on Monday in an 'apparent suicide' after jumping from a hotel balcony in Miami. He was 42.

The Belarusian former professional hockey player is believed to have joined his girlfriend in the city as she prepared for the Miami Open, where she begins her campaign this Friday.

The Miami-Dade Police Department has taken over the investigation into the suspected suicide, but in an interview with media in her native Belarus, Mikhailova has given her view on what might have happened.

She has claimed that her ex-husband 'was very likely drunk' before the fatal fall, and while she says booze bottles were found in his hotel room, officers were unable to locate a suicide note. She also says his recent behaviour indicated, in her view, that he was not preparing to take his own life.

'Most likely, he was very drunk,' she told Zerkalo. 'Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of this.

'Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Konstantin stayed. There was a balcony overlooking the ocean. Probably Konstantin did not keep track of his actions.

'We still have the old family computer with Konstantin's email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Konstantin had further booked apartments in a different location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. He rented a car for a long time.

'That is, he did not intend to die. Anything, of course, can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.'

She added that he fell from the 23rd floor at the St Regis Bal Harbour Resort, and while the police instantly ruled out murder, their investigation is expected to be completed within a month.

Mikhailova said that their children Daniel, Alexander, and Stefan, aged 18, 16 and five, are coming to terms with his death and claimed that the pair's eldest son, Daniel, is the heir to his estate.

Reflecting on her relationship with Sabalenka, Mikhailova said: 'Nice girl. I loved Konstantin very much, but Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.'

Elsewhere, Koltsov's first coach, Vladislav Astapenko, has aired his belief that the 42-year-old's death is related to family problems.

'He had an argument, it's a family situation,' he told Tribuna. 'I can't understand it myself, it's very difficult, it's hard now,'

Bal Harbour Police and Fire Rescue were dispatched to the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in reference to a male who jumped from a balcony at 12.39am ET Monday, according to investigators.

Reports from his native Belarus had initially claimed that Kolstov had died of a 'detached blood clot'.

Koltsov, who played hockey for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, was confirmed dead by his former club Salavat Yulaev Ufa on the social messaging site Telegram on Tuesday.

'It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away,' the Russian club's statement read.

'He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin forever wrote himself into the history of our club.

'Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev and did a great job on the team’s coaching staff.

'May his memory burn bright.'

The death of Sabalenka's partner comes just five years after she lost her father Sergey following his sudden death at 43.