Yulia Putintseva not only lost in the third round of the US Open in New York but also squandered any sympathy from the fans.
The Kazakh player Yulia Putintseva drew the ire of the fans at the US Open with her disrespectful behavior towards a ball girl.
The 29-year-old lost in the third round to Jasmine Paolini. She took out her frustration on the ball girl, who was trying to toss her the ball so she could serve. Putintseva had previously signaled that she wanted the ball.
Instead of catching the tossed ball, the Kazakh did not react and let the ball bounce off her. A murmur went through the crowd at this action.
Criticism Online for Putintseva
The world number 31 doubled down on her behavior. She stared at the ball girl continuously and demanded the next ball. She also let this one bounce off her foot. Only on the third toss did she finally pick the ball up with her racket.
Putintseva faced heavy criticism on social media for her unfair behavior. “Thank goodness Paolini beat her. She needs some lessons in humility,” read a comment that received a lot of support.