Aryna Sabalenka has issued an emotional statement following news of Konstantin Koltsov's death as she prepares to face best friend Paula Badosa at the Miami Open.
The world No 2 has remained in the field for this week's tournament after her former partner's death.
Koltsov, a former professional ice hockey player, died in what local Miami police described in a statement as an 'apparent suicide'.
The statement added that officers were called to a resort in Miami in the early hours of Monday morning after a male had "jumped from a balcony".
The 42-year-old had been a regular presence in Sabalenka's team at tennis tournaments in recent years after the pair started dating in 2021.
Their relationship was also captured by Netflix's Break Point cameras during the 2023 Australian Open.
But Sabalenka, speaking for the first time since his death, has confirmed that the couple were no longer together while asking for privacy.
"Konstantin's death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken," she wrote on Instagram.
"Please respect my privacy and his family's privacy during this difficult time."
Sabalenka would have originally been set to play her second-round match at the Miami Open on Thursday along with the her side of the draw.
But her match against Badosa has been pushed back to Friday in a move that has been praised on social media.
One fan wrote: "Credit to @WTA @JRBlake @Miami Open for enabling this to happen."
Another posted: "Very good initiative from the organisers."
A third said: "Excellent job by @MiamiOpen and @JRBlake for showing what civility in sport looks like."
One other message read: "Very kind from the tournament."
Badosa and Sabalenka are close friends on tour and regularly travel abroad together.
The Spanish star has admitted it will be "uncomfortable" facing Sabalenka following the news of Koltsov's death.
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She said: "Yesterday [Tuesday] I spoke with her a lot of time. This morning the same. So I know what she's going through. I know the entire situation, what is happening.
"That for me is a little bit shocking also to go through that because at the end she's my best friend and I don't want her to suffer. It's a very tough situation.
"At the same point, playing against her, it's also uncomfortable. But I don't really want to talk about it because I said I'm not going to talk about it. She's my best friend and I promised that.
"She's a strong woman. I think she will get the power from somewhere. I hope it's going to be a battle, a good match."
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