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A stoic Aryna Sabalenka has appeared on court for the first time since the death of her former partner Konstantin Koltsov, winning her match against close friend Paula Badosa at the Miami Open.
Koltsov, a former professional ice hockey player from Belarus, died in Miami Beach this week, aged 42.
Sabalenka defeated Badosa 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 64 on Saturday morning AEDT, with the two warmly embracing at the net after match point.
"She's a very, very strong woman, a strong personality, you can see it on the court," Badosa said.
"I knew she was going to play very well and I told her I wish her the best and let's see if she can go very deep in this tournament."
The match was reportedly pushed back until Saturday, with tournament organisers giving Sabalenka – who had received a first-round bye — more time to prepare.
Play was also delayed for several hours due to rain in Miami.
When play finally began under gloomy skies, the two players — both dressed in black — stepped onto the Grandstand court to a smattering of applause from the small crowd that waited out the rain.
Before warming up, Badosa and Sabalenka met at the net for the coin toss.
They broke into smiles, then traded fist bumps before beginning their warm-up.
"It wasn't very comfortable to play my best friend in this situation," Badosa said.
"Honestly both of us are pretty strong mentally, we're strong women. I proved it, she proved it."
Sabalenka, the Belarusian world number two, took to the court two days after she released a statement following Koltsov's death.
"Konstantin's death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken," Sabalenka wrote on Instagram.
"Please respect my privacy and his family's privacy during this difficult time."
The Miami-Dade Police Department issued a statement on Wednesday AEDT, saying first responders were called to the St Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach the previous day.
"No foul play is suspected," the statement read.
Koltsov enjoyed a decorated professional ice hockey career, winning the Russian Super League title with Salavat Yulaev in 2008.
He played for the Belarus national team in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and spent parts of three seasons with the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 to 2006.
Sabalenka, who defended her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park in January, will face 32nd seed Anhelina Kalinina in the next round of the Miami Open.
ABC/Reuters