Two seething tennis players broke out into a heated argument after a match on Sunday with one even brutally telling her rival: ‘Nobody likes you!’
Maria Sakkari got the better of Yulia Putintseva in straight sets at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany, winning 7-5 7-6 in the third round.
Beneath their calm exteriors, the players maintained respect by clasping hands over the net despite tensions brewing. However, spectators were taken aback by a sudden dispute that arose, seemingly triggered by a brief and casual handshake.
Sakkari, holding a wild card, seemed particularly displeased and was overheard urging her opponent to show more consideration, emphasizing the need to behave ‘like a human being’. Putintseva, on the other hand, stood her ground, claiming she was already doing so.
In a sudden turn of events, the fiery Kazakhstani player escalated the situation by directing inappropriate language towards Sakkari, instructing her to ‘go f***’ herself and to keep her distance, while making a dismissive gesture signaling for her to move away.
Much of the spat wasn’t audible because of the music being pumped out around Centre Court, but a riposte from Putintseva led Sakkari to follow her to her bench.
CONTENT WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGEÂ
Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva were involved in a heated row at an event in Germany
Sakkari followed Putintseva to her bench and was overheard telling her: ‘Nobody likes you’
She appeared to have taken exception to Putintseva’s handshake over the top of the net
Sakkari eventually walked away but returned again just seconds later, appearing to say, ‘F***ing hell, I’m what?’ She then clearly told Putintseva: ‘Nobody likes you!’Â
The Greek instructed Putintseva to look into her opponent’s eyes when shaking their hand after a match before the umpire stepped in, saying: ‘Ladies, please.’
Putintseva delivered a sarcastic sweeping bow in Sakkari’s direction, saying ‘thank you very much’, and the argument continued even as she made her way off the court.
Last year, Putintseva, 30, was involved in another ugly moment during her defeat to Jasmine Paolini at the US Open, leading to her being widely criticised by pundits.
Footage showed two balls being thrown towards Putintseva ahead of her next serve, but she ignored them and stared back at the ballgirl without moving.
That left the youngster in an awkward position, before Putintseva caught the third ball and resumed the match when she was down 4-2 in the second set.Â
Putintseva was loudly booed and twice apologised for her ‘terrible behaviour’, insisting she was ‘p***ed’ at herself rather than the ball girl.
‘It’s kind of scary the way the world can judge someone from just a three second video, that someone posts from one side, without seeing the rest on what was really happening,’ she wrote on social media.
Putintseva was involved in a spat during the US Open last year after ignoring a ball girl’s attempts to throw the balls towards her, letting them hit her and bounce away
Putintseva did not acknowledge the ball girl as she eventually caught the third ball
She admitted that she’s ‘a gangster on court, but like an angel off court’
‘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 got very much disappointed and was almost crying, that I didn’t do better.Â
‘At this time the girl was giving me the ball, which I didn’t even notice or so, because I was deep in my thoughts… I was not trying to humiliate her (or anyone) by not taking this ball that she was giving to me.
‘I didn’t do anything disrespectful to anyone at this particular moment. I do apologise, if this girl thinks that it was something towards her. (And btw her name is Kate, very nice girl, which understood that it was nothing towards her).
‘I can’t say that I am perfect all my career. I am getting angry on court, p***ed, saying stupid stuff and curse like no tomorrow sometimes. Guilty for that. But I did never put myself “on top” of someone. That’s just not me at all.’
