Aryna Sabalenka requested seclusion for herself and the family of the former Belarusian hockey star she had dated, stating that her “heart is broken” by Konstantin Koltsov’s death.
Days before second-ranked Sabalenka was scheduled to open play in the Miami Open, Koltsov passed away on Monday in Miami at the age of 42. According to Miami-Dade Police, there was no suspicion of foul play and the death appeared to be a suicide.
“My heart is devastated, and although we were no longer together, Konstantin’s death is an inconceivable sorrow,” Sabalenka stated in a statement issued on Wednesday by her publicist. “During this trying moment, please respect the privacy of his family and me.”
In the tournament’s opening round, Belarusian Sabalenka, 25, received a bye. According to a tournament spokeswoman, Sabalenka will play her close friend Paula Badosa on Friday. This was announced on Wednesday.
After being taken in the first round of the 1999 NHL Draft, Koltsov played 144 NHL games for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2003 to 2006, recording 12 goals and 26 assists. The majority of his playing career was spent in the Russian Superleague, which later became the KHL. He ended his playing career with Dynamo Minsk in 2015–16 and entered coaching.
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Neymar’s father claims that despite Alves’ conviction for rape, his family will not free him from Spanish jail.
Neymar’s father, a soccer player, announced on Thursday that his family is unable to provide the one million euros ($1.1 million) needed to free Dani Alves from a Spanish jail as he awaits the outcome of an appeal against his rape conviction.
Alves’ family provided financial assistance during his trial, but Neymar da Silva Santos declared in a statement on his behalf that they will not do so going forward after the former athlete was convicted guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022.
“This is resolved for my family and me. Neymar da Silva Santos stated, “Entire stop.”
Alves, 40, received a sentence of four years and six months in prison. He’s detained at a prison outside of Barcelona.
The amount that Neymar’s father handed Alves was not disclosed, but he did say that the situation has changed since the three-judge panel at the Barcelona Provincial Court found against Alves.
Neymar’s father stated in the family statement, “With the Spanish court ruling for his conviction, there’s speculation and an attempt to tie my name and my son’s to an issue that is not within our control any longer.”