Kazakh tennis star Yulia Putintseva has become the centre of attention at the US Open after “humiliating” a ball girl during her third-round defeat.
The 29-year-old was frustrated after her 6-3, 6-4 loss to Jasmine Paolini, but it was her antics during the match that caught the eye.
After the ball girl tried to throw balls at her before she took her serve, Putintseva made no effort to catch them and instead stood still.
He immediately received criticism from several prominent figures, including male legend Boris Becker, before apologising for his actions in a social media post.
While she has apologised on this occasion, Putintseva is no stranger to controversy on the pitch and here Mail Sport delves into her fiery past.
Yulia Putintseva ignored the ball girl’s attempts to throw balls at her, letting the first one hit her torso (left) while the second one bounced off her feet and rolled away (right).
Putintseva did not recognise the ball girl when she caught the third ball, as the young woman spread her arms out almost in disbelief at what had just happened.
Putintseva, 29, was later criticised for her “terrible behaviour” towards the ball girl.
The Kazakhstan star admitted he is “a gangster on the pitch, but like an angel off it”
Before we explore the 29-year-old’s story, it’s important to understand what caused so much controversy on Saturday afternoon.
The Kazakh player had lost the first set to Paolini and was 4-2 down in the second, and there was an unpleasant moment when a ball girl tried to throw balls at her before she took her serve.
Putintseva stared at the ball girl with her arms at her sides, making no effort to catch the balls and instead just watching them as they rolled away from her feet, which was met with boos from the supporters.
The 29-year-old took to social media to apologize for her actions. and wrote: ‘I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was when she was giving me the balls.
‘To be honest, it wasn’t because of her. I was very angry with myself for not winning the game from the break point and afterwards I was left devoid of emotions and lost in my thoughts, not even concentrating on what was happening and who was giving me the ball.
‘All the ball kids did amazing as always at the Open.’
Becker, who won the US Open in 1989, wrote in response to a video of the moment on social media: “Who does Putintseva think she is?… terrible behaviour towards the ball girl.”
His tweet was in response to one who described it as an “ugly moment” during the match.
Putintseva took to social media to apologize for her actions, saying she was “angry” with herself at the time of the match when it occurred during a straight-sets loss.
Former US Open champion Boris Becker criticised Putintseva’s behaviour on social media
Piers Morgan also took to social media, criticising Putintseva’s “disgusting arrogance”.
He wrote: ‘What disgusting arrogance from @PutintsevaYulia. The ball girl should have thrown the third one in her mocking face.’
The incident came as a surprise to many watching the US Open, but those familiar with Putintseva will be aware of her fiery tendencies.
In 2022, the Russian-born star previously stated: ‘I’m like a gangster on the court, but like an angel off the court’ after defeating Kaja Juvan in Rome.
Having saved two match points, he dropped his racket before letting out a mighty shout of “Forza!” in his usual outspoken style.
At the time, she explained that her upbringing helped her become the player she is today, but admitted that as a junior, there was “too much fire” on the court.
“I knew that since I was a little girl. My father used to tell me: ‘Yulia, sometimes your temper on the court is too strong.’ But sometimes his temper was also too strong.
‘We were two tough characters when we worked together, but off the pitch there was a lot of love and calm moments. In fact, we never fought off the pitch, but all the time on it.
Putintseva had already vented her anger on her rackets before posting it on the Internet.
She admits she “knew from a young age” that her temper tended to flare when she was on the court.
Putintseva, who was born in Moscow, went on to represent Kazakhstan in 2012.
The 29-year-old tennis player was photographed on holiday with Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka
‘In my youth years I was hasty, wild, too fiery. Now I control myself more. In important moments I calm down. I understand what I have to do.’
Perhaps her biggest on-court controversy came in 2019, when she lost at the Australian Open before making an obscene gesture to the crowd.
Putintseva fell to Belinda Bencic in her second-round clash, with Bencic prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
After the match, Putintseva offered little more than a handshake to both Bencic and the umpire before storming off the court.
Then, as he walked out of the stadium to boos from the crowd, he wagged his finger at the spectators before raising his middle finger to the stands.
As fans reacted to the strange behavior, they were quick to remind each other that just one round earlier, Putintseva had performed an overly aggressive handshake.
After winning her first-round clash with Barbora Strycova, she shared a typically fiery moment with her opponent at the net as she put the squeeze on her opponent.
After losing to Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open, she barely offered a handshake to either her opponent or the umpire.
He then wagged his finger at the crowd before giving his followers the middle finger.
Putintseva responded by raising her middle finger to the crowd as she left the court.
Strycova appeared confused and in pain over the incident before clarifying: “I like to shake my hand normally, but she squeezed me, like it was so hard! These bones… Ouch! Ouch!”
Putintseva’s fiery reputation has been well-known to her peers and even the likes of Venus Williams, who has won four of their five on-court encounters.
Asked about Putintseva’s character on court, Williams said: “She’s a tough player, she’s very hungry. I feel like she gives 200 percent on every point. She’s a fighter.”
While the 29-year-old is no stranger to controversy on the court, she has also been embroiled in drama off it.
Putintseva, who was born in Moscow, switched to representing Kazakhstan in 2012 after feeling aggrieved that the Russian Tennis Federation had not granted her a wild card for the previous year’s Kremlin Cup.
After beating Barbora Strycova in 2019, she offered an extremely firm handshake.
Her opponent was left bewildered and in pain after the strong hold from the Kazakh star.
At the time, he explained: ‘I have a great relationship with Kazakhstan right now, but, I mean, life is long.
“You never know what’s going to happen. So right now I’m happy with what I have, but everything can change.”
Putintseva was scheduled to compete at the Paris Olympics this summer but missed the competition due to a knee injury.
She was also particularly outspoken during the Covid-19 pandemic and even posted a photo of herself holding a sign on social media that read, “We need fresh air to breathe” after being quarantined indoors.