Aryna Sabalenka and Konstantin Koltsov were first linked in June 2021.
The couple share a love of sports, as they are both athletes. Sabalenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player ranked No. 5 as of January 2023 and has previously held the title of No. 2 in the world. Meanwhile, Koltsov is a former ice hockey player who competed in two Olympic Games.
Sabalenka has been playing tennis since she was 6 years and made her first appearance at the ITF Circuit in Belarus in 2012. The athlete, who appears on Netflix’s Break Point tennis docuseries, achieved her first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon in 2021 and her third Grand Slam semi-final at the U.S. Open in 2022. However, she was not allowed to play at Wimbledon in 2022, as the All England Club and Lawn Tennis Association announced in April 2022 that Russian and Belarusian players wouldn’t be allowed to compete in any tournaments in the United Kingdom amid the war in Ukraine.
On Jan. 28, 2023, Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam women’s singles title at the Australian Open. She became the first player competing under a neutral flag to secure a Grand Slam.
When she’s not on the court, however, the tennis pro likes to be a “normal person.” As she once told the Women’s Tennis Association, “I’m like two different persons on court and off court. Because on the court … I need to be focused and serious to show my best on the court and play my best game. But off the court, I’m trying to be like relaxed, like smiling, laughing. Like a normal person.”
Based on her Instagram photos, her downtime includes plenty of moments with Koltsov. The tennis pro regularly shares photos of the couple on Instagram, whether they’re traveling the world or enjoying nights out.
So who is Konstantin Koltsov? Here’s everything to know about Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend.
He is a former professional ice hockey player
Koltsov played professional ice hockey for 18 years, where he competed in the IIHF World Championships and the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010 for Belarus. He also briefly played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins for three seasons after he was drafted by the team in 1999. Koltsov later played for the Kontinental Hockey League from 2008 to 2016.
He is from Belarus
The ice hockey player is from Minsk, Belarus — the same city Sabalenka was born in, according to her WTA profile.
They were first linked in June 2021
Sabalenka and Koltsov became Instagram official in June 2021. On June 19, she shared a picture of Koltsov kissing her on the cheek as she smiled at the camera.
“It’s good when there is someone who is able to understand my madness????,” the tennis player wrote in the caption, adding, “but you won’t get bored with me, right @koltsov2021 ? ????❤️.”
He and Sabalenka love traveling together
In May 2022, Sabalenka and Koltsov traveled around Rome, Italy, together. She posted several photos from the trip on Instagram of the couple posing in front of the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain, as well as eating gelato together.
The couple also visited Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in July 2022. Sabalenka shared a photo of herself in a green bikini holding Koltsov’s hand, as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “Having fun on the beach ????,” she wrote in their joint Instagram post.
Sabalenka was engaged before him
Before Sabalenka was linked to Koltsov, she was engaged to someone else — though she kept her fiancé’s identity private. The tennis player confirmed her engagement news in November 2019, saying, “It’s just an engagement. I am little bit against weddings, against it as an event like it is.”
She also confirmed that her then-fiancé was not from Belarus nor her former coach Dmitry Tursunov, adding, “It’s not Tursunov (laughing). He is not from Belarus.”
He is a dad of three
Koltsov reportedly has three children from a previous relationship: sons Daniel, Alexander and Stefan.
In December 2022, Sabalenka participated in a Q&A on her Instagram Story. When a fan asked her “Do you think you’ll be an amazing stepmother?” she wrote, “I don’t know … I guess yes” over a photo of a little boy kissing her face. She added, “Stefan loves me.”
Sabalenka also tagged Koltsov in the picture of Stefan giving her a kiss.
He’s private on social media
While Koltsov’s Instagram is private, the former ice hockey player has appeared in plenty of snaps posted on Sabalenka’s account.
In September, Sabalenka shared a romantic gesture from Koltsov on Instagram. “Lucky me I have the best man in the world ???? @koltsov2021,” she wrote alongside several photos of bouquets Koltsov had delivered. “You make me happy every day! ❤️❤️❤️.”
She also posted a photo on Twitter in December 2022 of the two sharing an intimate embrace while dressed in matching white, writing, “Love is in the air.” Later that day, Sabalenka shared the same image on Instagram with the caption, “Too much ❤️ Sorry had to post it again.”
On April 17, 2023, Sabalenka marked Koltsov’s 42nd birthday by sharing a video slideshow on Instagram. The post featured clips and photos of her boyfriend, including footage of the pair on a boat and at the gym.
