WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka loses her cool, smashes racquet after shock Miami Open 3R loss to Anhelina Kalinina

Aryna Sabalenka's frustrations boiled over at the end of her third-round loss to 32nd-seeded Anhelina Kalinina at the 2024 Miami Open on Saturday (March 23).

The World No. 2 has been through the wringer this week. On Tuesday (March 19), Konstantin Koltsov, with whom the Belarusian had broken up just a week prior, jumped from a balcony at a luxury hotel in Bal Harbour, Flordia.

Aryna Sabalenka took to her Instagram handle the following day to mourn the passing of her 42-year-old ex-boyfriend.

"Konstantin's death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken," she wrote on her Instagram stories on Wednesday. "Please respect my privacy and his family's privacy during this difficult time."

While the two-time Major winner was expected to take a week off due to the tragedy, she eventually went ahead with her Miami campaign. Having received a bye in the first round, the 25-year-old beat her good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3 in her opener.

Unfortunately, Aryna Sabalenka couldn't sustain the same level in her first tour-level meeting against Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina. The 32nd seed started the match slow before breaking her younger opponent thrice to take the first set 6-4.

The reigning Australian Open champion refused to go down quietly, taking the second set 6-1. However, she appeared listless in the third set, dropping all four of her service games to lose to Kalinina 4-6, 6-1, 1-6 in just over two hours.

Sabalenka subsequently chose aggression to let off her pent-up anger, smashing her racquet multiple times. On the bright side, the Belarusian can finally rest and get over the ordeal she faced this week.

---

Aryna Sabalenka kicked off 2024 with a successful title defense at Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka poses with the 2024 Australian Open trophy

Although Aryna Sabalenka's early exit at the 2024 Miami Open is alarming, she has still had a good season on the WTA Tour this year. The Belarusian has won 14 of her 18 matches.

Sabalenka started her season at the Brisbane International. She displayed sublime form throughout the week, not dropping a set en route to the championship match. She was then beaten convincingly by World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in the final of the WTA 500 tournament.

Not to be deterred by the above result, the World No. 2 played her best tennis to defend her 2023 crown at the Australian Open. However, she has seemingly hit a rough patch since her Melbourne campaign, losing three of her last six matches.