Yulia Putintseva is making headlines for more than just her powerful serve at the 2024 US Open. The tennis star has found herself in the hot seat after a viral moment during her match against Jasmine Paolini on August 31, where her behavior towards a ball girl sparked a wave of criticism.
In a series of clips circulating on social media, the 29-year-old was seen repeatedly ignoring a ball thrown to her by a ball girl. The awkward exchange, where Putintseva let the ball bounce off to the side twice before finally catching it on the third attempt, didn’t go unnoticed by the crowd, who responded with boos.
Social media quickly followed suit, with users expressing their disappointment. One user on X (formerly Twitter) summed up the sentiment, saying, “I feel bad for the ball girl. I can’t believe Yulia had this attitude.” Another chimed in, calling her actions “rude and disrespectful.”
But after Paolini claimed victory in the match, Putintseva wasted no time addressing the situation. The tennis player took to Instagram Stories to issue an apology, explaining that her actions were not directed at the ball girl.
“I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was when she was giving me balls,” Putintseva wrote in a post that has since expired but was captured by Sports Illustrated. “Honestly speaking, it was not about her. I was really pissed at myself for not winning the game from the breakpoint and then got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what’s going on and who gives me the ball.”
Putintseva also took a moment to praise the hard work of the ball kids at the tournament, adding, “All the ball kids were doing amazing as always at the Open.”
Also Read: Diana Taurasi Suspended After Receiving Seventh Technical Foul Of The Season
