Boris Becker has lambasted Yulia Putintseva for her “terrible behaviour” towards a ball girl during her defeat to Jasmine Paolini at the 2024 US Open.
Putintseva has faced a backlash for her conduct during her 3-6, 4-6 defeat to world No 5 Paolini in the third round at the 2024 US Open.
The world No 32 called for a ball girl to throw her balls to serve, but let two of the balls bounce on the ground as she stood motionless.
Ugly moment in the Putintseva vs Paolini match at the US Open.
The ball girl tries tossing the ball and Yulia watches it bounce on the ground without moving.
So many ball kids look up to these athletes. Let’s try to treat them kinder.
In a post on her Instagram story, Putintseva issued an apology for the incident and claimed she was not focusing due to her frustration with not breaking serve in the previous game.
“I want to apologise to the ball girl for the way I was when she was giving me balls,” wrote the 29-year-old Kazakh. “Honestly speaking it was not about her.
“I was really p***ed at myself because by not winning the game from the break point and then got empty in my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what’s going on and who gives me the ball.
“All the ball kids was doing amazing as always at the [US] Open.”
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Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, is one of a number of leading tennis voices who has criticised Putinsteva’s behaviour on social media.
In a post on X, the German legend wrote: “Who does Putintseva think she is… Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl!!!”
In a reply to Becker’s tweet, former world No 12 Feliciano Lopez said: “Shame on her!!! Humiliation of a ball kid is the last thing you do on a tennis court.”
Rennae Stubbs, a former doubles world No 1 who coached Serena Williams, feels the incident was “typical” of Putintseva.
“The disrespect and obnoxious behaviour here is unbelievable and typical from her,” wrote the Australian.
Journalist Jon Wertheim claimed the boos Putintseva received from the crowd “weren’t nearly loud enough.”