Tennis Fans Hurl Angry Chants at US Open Star for Disrespecting Ball-Girl With Her Serious Gesture

“She needs a psychiatrist,” Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka had said after her clash with Yulia Putintseva in the 2022 Qatar Open. The Russian-born Kazakhstani star—who’s infamous for her on-court tantrums, offhand gestures and “gamesmanship”—has irked fans yet again after her 2024 US Open third-round loss against Jasmine Paolini.

Putintseva was visibly upset after Paolini defeated her 6-3, 6-4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. A clip from the match surfaced online, which showed the player ignoring a ball girl. The young girl could be seen gesturing, with one ball in each hand, toward the player who appeared nonchalant. She casually ignored two of the girl’s throws and letting them bounce off before catching the third.

The crowd present at the stadium started booing loudly. She didn’t respond, though there was one time when she actually flipped off a crowd!

After her 2019 Australian Open second round loss against Belinda Bencic (7-5, 4-6, 6-2), the 29-year-old appeared disinterested in a handshake with her opponent and chair umpire. As the crowd appeared agitated with her lame attempts, the young Kazakh gave them a middle finger salute before exiting the area.

Also, earlier during that same tournament, she also shared one-sided animosity, as alleged by Barbora Strýcová. Putintseva reportedly squeezed the former Czech tennis player’s hand too hard after winning in the first-round clash. “I like to squeeze hand normal, but she squeezed me, like, hardcore! These bones — oww! Oww!” the retired veteran had said back then.

But it’s not like the three-time major quarterfinalist is not aware of her problematic behavior. “I’m like a gangster on court, but like an angel off court,” she had admitted in an interview with WTA Tennis, in 2022. The player insisted that she’s a different person in real life—soft spoke, calm, cool and collected. “My father would tell me, ‘Yulia, your temper on the court is too much sometimes.’ But his temper was too much sometimes, too. We were both hard characters when we used to work together. But outside it was a lot of love and chill time. We actually never fought outside the court. But all the time on the court.”

As for the US Open debacle, Putintseva’s body language made it clear that she was deeply dissatisfied with how things had unfolded at that moment. And as expected tennis fans didn’t mince any words when criticizing her on social media.

Fans call Yulia Putintseva a “loser”

Not all days go as planned, and Putintseva experienced this firsthand yesterday after losing at the American Slam to Paolini. Despite her efforts, her skills didn’t bear the fruit of success. Unlike many players, Putintseva chose to express her disappointment publicly, without regard for criticism. While her reaction seemed like a spur-of-the-moment act, fans had a hard time accepting it. After the clip went viral, people began expressing their anger. One person wrote, “Lol what a loser.” 

Did you know Putintseva even refused to shake a chair umpire’s hand after a loss against Romania’s Ana Bogdan (6-1, 2-6, 3-6) at the 2018 Australian Open? She had extended her hand toward the official before retreating and walking off the court.

As for the recent incident, the anguish didn’t remain in criticism. People started dropping advice for the player. “Grow up lady” tweeted one person, urging Putintseva to act maturely and accept that losing is part of the game. Her public display of frustration showcased her immaturity in handling sensitive situations.

Putintseva’s behavior sparked outrage on social media. People began recalling how Victoria Azarenka once made a negative comment about the Kazakhstani player, and now they feel Azarenka was right. “Azarenka was 100% right about her,” fans echoed, recalling the 2022 Doha Open match between Azarenka and Putintseva. The Kazakh threw her racquet when Azarenka played to bring a 4-0 deficit in the third set. “Before my serve, she can do that. What’s the problem? She has to wait for me to serve. She threw her racquet, like, 7 times. Four, four is okay. She needs a mental coach, she needs a psychiatrist,” Azarenka said to the umpire then. Now, fans feel the Belarusian’s comment was justified.

Yulia Putintseva’s anger has earned her a mixed reputation in the tennis fraternity. In the 2019 Australian Open, this WTA star showed the middle finger to the surprised crowd after Belinda Bencic defeated her in the second round. Putintseva was in no mood to shake hands with the umpire or her opponent. These behaviors have given her a reputation for being unprofessional. “@PutintsevaYulia worst attitude in professional tennis?” commented a fan.

It seemed as if the whole tennis world was disappointed with her behavior. Putintseva’s recent act wasn’t new given her past. She has hardly compromised in expressing her feelings. Now fans think of her as classless. “Never had an ounce of class, never will,” tweeted another fan. The whole comment thread criticised the Kazakh’s behavior calling her out many times. 

Putintseva couldn’t handle Paolini’s fierce on-court skills and lost her chance at Flushing Meadows. While her defeat was disappointing, the media’s focus shifted to her act of frustration. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Kazakhstani player will respond or take accountability for the fans’ disappointment.