Professional tennis players Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva were seen in a heated clash at the Bad Homberg Open following their match on Sunday. Sakkari defeated Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (6) to move on to the next round of the tennis tournament. As the two competitors came to the net, Putintseva slapped Sakkari’s hand and failed to make eye contact as she walked toward the chair umpire.
After the match, Sakkari started jawing at Putintseva, who responded with a curtsy. Sakkari didn’t appear to like what Putintseva said and stepped over to address the comment directly. ‘Nobody likes you,’ Sakkari was heard telling Putintseva on the broadcast, sparking immediate reactions from the audience and media.
Sakkari addressed the incident in her post-match interview after Putintseva walked toward the locker room. ‘I don’t think she’s going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don’t care, to be honest,’ she said. ‘I have very good friends, and I’ll go to dinner with them. Let me leave it here, and just say that I have respect for her as a player, but that’s it.’
Despite the controversy, Sakkari advanced to the Round of 16 and awaits her next opponent, with Wimbledon on her mind as she continues her tournament run. The Greek star has two career singles titles and has reached the third round of Wimbledon four times, including in 2024.
Putintseva, of Kazakhstan, has three singles titles in her career and made it as far as the fourth round of Wimbledon last year. The incident has sparked discussions on the balance between competitive spirit and sportsmanship in professional tennis.