Firebrand Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva has stoked the flames in her feud with Greek rival Maria Sakkari in the wake of an on-court altercation, antagonising the former world No.3 with spicy social media activity.
The lead-up to Wimbledon was lit up by Putintseva and Sakkari when the rivals clashed following a match at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany at the weekend, which led to Sakkari telling her opponent: “Nobody likes you”.
Sakkari, who won the opening-round match 7-5, 7-6(6), accused Putintseva of not looking her in the eye as they shook hands, prompting her Kazakhstani opponent to sarcastically perform a bow.
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“Respect me like a human being,” Sakkari said.
Putintseva shot back as she walked to her chair.
“I was being like a human being,” Putintseva said. “Look at yourself.”
Some inaudible arguing followed with Sakkari lurking at Putintseva’s chair, before Putintseva said: “Just leave me alone”.
Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva in an ugly altercation. X
Sakkari uttered the words “f—ing hell” while walking away, before heading back toward Putintseva after hearing another comment.
Sakkari twice told Putintseva: “Nobody likes you”.
“When you shake hands, look at the other person in the eye,” Sakkari added.
The chair umpire eventually interjected, saying: “Ladies, please”.
Simultaneously with the umpire’s comment, Putintseva performed another sarcastic bow.
Several days later, Putintseva has posted a photo to her Instagram story accompanied by a prickly message.
“By the way – not that I care – I shook her hand as most women do,” Putintseva wrote.
“Clearly not according to the ‘hugging protocol’ some men seem to follow.”
Yulia Putintseva on Instagram. Instagram
In another slide on her Instagram story, Putintseva shared a reel posted by an account called The Tennis Pulse.
In that reel, Sakkari is seen not looking at both Martina Trevisan and Emma Raducanu in the eye during handshakes at the net.
“And the plot thickens,” Putintseva wrote, accompanied by a clown emoji.
In a post-match interview in Germany, Sakkari was asked about the altercation at the net.
“I don’t think she’s going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives,” Sakkari said.
“But I don’t care, to be honest; I have very good friends.”
Yulia Putintseva responding on Instagram to a reel showing Maria Sakarri not looking Emma Raducanu in the eye during a handshake. Instagram
During last year’s US Open, Putintseva attracted backlash for disrespect she showed a ball girl.
As the ball girl tried to pass balls to Putintseva, who’s now 30, the Kazakhstani did nothing but glare at the girl with her arms by her side, refusing to catch the balls.
“Who does Putintseva think she is?” German legend Boris Becker wrote at the time.
“Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl.”
Former Australian star Rennae Stubbs wrote: “The disrespect and obnoxious behaviour here is unbelievable and typical from her”.
Yulia Putintseva (left) and Maria Sakkari. Getty
Putintseva apologised on social media, but also took aim at her critics.
“Its [sic] kind of scary the way [the] world can judge someone from just a 3 second video, that someone post from one side, without seeing the rest on what was really happening,” Putintseva wrote.
“I was just playing tennis and lost a tough game, which was very close (in my opinion) to turn that match around. After the game (as you can see on a pic) i [sic] got very much disappointed and was almost crying, that i didnt [sic] do better.”
Wimbledon’s women’s and men’s singles tournaments are set to begin next Monday.
Sakkari and Putintseva will both play singles tennis at the London major.
