Yulia Putintseva, the 29-year-old Kazakh tennis star, faced the wrath of spectators and online criticism after her awkward interaction with a ball girl during her US Open match against Jasmine Paolini.
Putintseva, who lost 6-3, 6-4 to the Italian sixth seed, was seen ignoring the ball girl’s attempts to hand her the ball after losing a point. As two balls bounced towards her, she watched them go off court without reacting. She eventually caught the third ball and picked up the other two that had bounced off.
The ball girl, visibly stunned, stood with her hands in the air as the crowd erupted in loud boos. The incident sparked outrage on social media, with six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker slamming Putintseva’s behavior.
Putintseva later apologized for her actions in an Instagram story, stating that she was “really pissed at [herself] by not winning the game from the breakpoint” and “got empty with [her] emotions.” She praised the ball kids for their hard work and expressed regret for her behavior.
Putintseva, who was born in Moscow and represents Kazakhstan, has a career-best ranking of 27 and has reached the quarterfinals of the US Open (2020) and the French Open (2016, 2018). She was part of the Kazakhstan team that won the bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
The incident highlights the importance of sportsmanship and respect for ball kids, who play a crucial role in tennis matches. Putintseva’s apology and the subsequent backlash serve as a reminder that even top athletes are held accountable for their actions on and off the court.
