Anastasia Potapova Lambasts Flight Attendant After ‘Humiliating’ Encounter Before US Open: “She Threatened to Remove Me”

The US Open is around the corner, and many players have already arrived at Flushing Meadows. But for Anastasia Potapova, the flight to New York City left a sour taste in her mouth.

The Austrian ace revealed the experience on her Instagram story, calling out United Airlines for one flight attendant’s treatment of her. Potapova was scheduled to play the Monterrey Open, but she withdrew.

Then, on her flight from Houston to New York on United Airlines flight UA678, she got into a heated encounter with a flight attendant named Mary, who, Potapova claimed, was very rude to her as well as her dog.

I have never done anything like this before, but right now I simply cannot stay silent. As a professional athlete, I travel extensively all over the world, but this is the first time I have ever experienced this level of disrespect, rudeness, and, to some extent, discrimination. To me, flight attendants are supposed to be there to help passengers, not create problems for them.

Anastasia Potapova wrote

Potapova also claimed the crew member threatened to remove her from the flight.

Today, on my flight from Houston to New York, flight UA678, I encountered a flight attendant who repeatedly seemed to go out of her way to cause problems for me for no apparent reason. She was extremely rude both to me personally and in the way she treated my dog. She also repeatedly brought up my status and threatened to remove me from the flight because of it.

Anastasia Potapova added

Potapova, in fact, shared the picture of the attendant on her Instagram story and requested that United Airlines look into the whole thing.

Her name is Mary. I truly hope that your airline will look into this situation and take it seriously, because no passenger — and no animal — deserves to be treated in such a humiliating and disrespectful way, especially by a member of the cabin crew.

Anastasia Potapova added

Check out her posts here:

Diese unsympsthische Potapova die nur wegen dem österreichischen Pass leichter von Turnier zu Turnier reisen kann, macht Fotos von einer Flugbegleiterin und beschwert sich .
Warum Hunde direkt im Flugzeug Radau machen dürfen(rumor has it)
verdtehe ich sowieso nicht #Russentussi https://t.co/GWQNyAU7WY

— Sabine (@CarinthianKid) August 26, 2026

Anastasia Potapova has never reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament

Anastasia Potapova will be hoping to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career. The only time she made the fourth round of a Major was at the French Open in 2024 and 2026. This year in Paris, Anna Kalinskaya ended her run.

At the US Open, however, the 25-year-old has never progressed beyond the third round, reaching that stage in 2024, while last year she lost in the second round. In Melbourne and Wimbledon this year, Potapova’s campaigns ended in the third and first rounds, respectively.

Potapova produced her best performance of her career at the Madrid Open this year, where she made the semifinals, only to lose to eventual champion Marta Kostyuk. She has played seven finals so far, winning three titles, with the last coming at the 2025 Transylvania Open. She lost to reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva in the Linz Open final this year.

At the US Open, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will compete as the defending champion. Sabalenka, who defeated Amanda Anisimova in last year’s US Open final, will also be aiming for the three-peat.

She will lose her No.1 ranking to Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, or Jessica Pegula if she fails in her title defense. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion has not yet reached a final since winning the Miami Open. On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz will play as the defending champion. Last year, he defeated Jannik Sinner, who withdrew from the event this year because of a knee injury.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Provides Injury Update Ahead of US Open: “I Don’t Want to Rush”