Aryna Sabalenka played her second match in as many days after her former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov’s tragic death. She had a tough and emotional week that ended with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 loss to Anhelina Kalinina.
After winning a hard-fought match against her friend Paula Badosa, Sabalenka seemed drained both physically and emotionally from her late-night game against Kalinina. When she lost the match, she showed her frustration by smashing her racket on the court and leaving without shaking hands with Kalinina.
Kalinina acknowledged the difficulty of playing against top players on big stages but said she was proud of herself for handling the pressure well.
Sabalenka’s tough week included stating the heartbreaking tragedy and the news that she and Koltsov had split. The police confirmed Koltsov’s death, which shocked the Miami Open community. Despite her emotional struggles, Sabalenka managed to win her match against Badosa but couldn’t keep it together against Kalinina.
Kalinina noticed Sabalenka’s aggressive play in the second set but stayed focused on her goal to be aggressive herself, especially in the decisive third set.
