Sabalenka Reveals Why She Dealt With Ex-Boyfriend's Death Without Psychologist
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Aryna Sabalenka had to overcome the tragic loss of her ex-boyfriend last season. However, she decided it was best not to work with a psychologist.
Sabalenka's 2024 season was the best of her career. She won the Australian Open and US Open and finished as the year-end No. 1 for the first time, overtaking Iga Swiatek during the season's final weeks.
The Belarusian also won the Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open, as well as losing one of the greatest WTA matches ever against Iga Swiatek in the Madrid Open final despite holding three match points in the final.
Those achievements would be impressive under any circumstances, but Sabalenka responded incredibly to the devastating passing of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, during last year's Miami Open.
Koltsov, a former ice hockey player who represented Belarus at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics, was found dead on March 18th. An investigation determined his death was the result of an apparent suicide.
Although Sabalenka and Koltsov were no longer together, they had been a couple for many years. That meant the world No. 1 was understandably devastated after his unexpected passing during the Miami Open.
However, Sabalenka chose not to take time off. She did not withdraw from the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami and then played her usual schedule during the clay court season, including that epic match against Swiatek in Madrid.
The two-time Australian Open champion might have been helped by her new boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, whom she began dating in April 2024. Sabalenka recently responded to reports that they were engaged.
Speaking to The Age, Sabalenka revealed that her team brought in a psychologist after Koltsov passed because they were concerned, but the 26-year-old quickly realized she would rather deal with the situation alone.
"Honestly, I don’t know how [I continued to play]. My team got a bit nervous after the last situation [with my ex-boyfriend], and they hired a psychologist. When I spoke to him, he was like, ‘How did you handle so many dramas in your life?’ and at that moment, I realised, ‘OK, I don’t need the psychologist. I can handle it by myself."
During that challenging time, Sabalenka realized that it is impossible to control the behavior of others. She felt it was better to focus on herself and the positive aspects of her life rather than the negatives.
“I think, first of all, you cannot control others. You can only control yourself, your behavior, and your attitude to things, and you just have to focus on the positives."
The three-time Grand Slam champion began her season perfectly by winning the Brisbane International. Sabalenka's run to glory at the WTA 500 tournament included a semifinal victory against the teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva.
That will give Sabalenka extra momentum ahead of her attempt to win a third consecutive Australian Open. She deservedly enters the opening Grand Slam of the season as the favorite but could face a stiff challenge from Coco Gauff, who beat Swiatek during Team USA's United Cup final victory.
