"Leave Aryna Sabalenka's close ones alone" - Fans react as journalists question Paula Badosa, Caroline Wozniacki over Belarusian's boyfriend's death

Journalists at the Miami Open asked both Caroline Wozniacki and Paula Badosa questions about Aryna Sabalenka's late boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov.

Koltsov, a former ice hockey player, was in Miami at the time of his death. According to initial reports by the Miami-Dade Police, the 42-year-old's death was being investigated as an 'apparent suicide.' The development has cast a shadow over Sabalenka's participation at the Miami Open.

While the WTA World No. 2 has decided to play in the prestigious tournament, she will reportedly not be doing press conferences. Amid the Belarusian's decision to skip pressers, journalists have posed questions related to her and the late Koltsov to her peers.

Wozniacki told the Miami Open press that she had been in touch with the two-time reigning Australian Open champion.

"I can't even imagine what she's [Aryna Sabalenka is] going through right now. I'm saying that. I'm also tearing up. It's such a terrible situation. It's so hard. I reached out to her and I told her that I was here if she needed anything," Wozniacki said.

Badosa, who won her first-round match against Simona Halep and will face Sabalenka next, said that she was not comfortable talking about the situation.

"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. I'm going to stay like this. Sorry," Badosa said.

Fans have not taken kindly to the questions posed to Wozniacki and Badosa. One of them slammed journalists and asked people to leave Sabalenka and her close ones alone.

"F***ing idiots for even asking her that, leave Aryna and her close ones alone, stop asking about that!!!!!" the fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan called the journalists 'vultures'.

"They’re actually vultures genuinely vultures I’m so tired of all the discourse, commentary, and opinions on here too." the fan commented.

Yet another fan called the media 'disrespectful leeches.'

"I think when players are asked about Aryna they should just say no comment it an appropriate question. I am respecting Aryna's privacy. The media are being disrespectful leeches about this." the fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions from tennis fans:

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Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa go into Miami Open clash with even head-to-head record

Aryna Sabalenka (L) hugs Paula Badosa (R) at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart 2022

Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa are close friends. The former doubles partners have faced each other on four occasions in the singles category. The Belarusian has won two of those matches, with the other two going in the Spaniard's favor.

The pair's last clash came at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. On that occasion, Badosa looked set to spring a shock on Sabalenka as she took the first set.

However, Sabalenka stormed back into the contest and won the next two sets comfortably. She has, in fact, won her last two matches against Badosa; both of them came in Stuttgart, with the semifinal encounter in 2022 also going Sabalenka's way.