Sabalenka 'intends to play' after boyfriend's death
World number two Aryna Sabalenka intends to play in the Miami Open this week, organisers said Tuesday, following the death of her boyfriend in an apparent suicide. Belarusian former NHL ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov died late Monday, police said, after he jumped from the balcony of a room in an upmarket resort in Miami. He was 42. Two-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka arrived to practice at the Miami Open venue at Hard Rock Stadium early on Tuesday afternoon and later organisers said she had not asked to withdraw and was "intending to play." The 25-year-old from Minsk, who won the Australian Open in 2023 and retained her Melbourne title earlier this year, is due to face Spain's Paola Badosa in the second round. Miami-Dade police spokesman Argemis Colome said in an email that on Monday, police "were dispatched to the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, in reference to a male that jumped from a balcony. "The Miami-Dade Police Department, Homicide Bureau, responded and has taken over the investigation of the apparent suicide of Mr. Konstantin Koltsov. No foul play is suspected." Bal Harbour is a high-end district in the northern part of Miami Beach, known for a luxury shopping mall and plush accommodations. Koltsov's death had earlier been confirmed by the Belarus hockey federation. "We are in mourning," the federation said on its website. "The Belarusian Hockey Federation expresses its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and everyone who knew and worked with Konstantin." Koltsov's playing career included a stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, where he made 144 appearances between 2003 and 2006. (AFP)