Yulia Putintseva clarifies her US Open ball kid controversy in her latest Instagram post
The most recent controversy of Yulia Putintseva with the ball kid at the US Open has generated harsh criticism from the tennis world.
Yulia Putintseva stands still while ball girl throws balls for her (Images via US Open/ X)
Russian-born tennis player Yulia Putintseva apologized again on Wednesday after a viral moment from her US Open match against Jasmine Paolini. The incident involved an awkward exchange with a ball girl during the third round. Putintseva posted pictures to explain what happened.
The video showed the Kazakh player not acknowledging the ball girl, which led to online backlash. In response, she issued two apologies, first on Instagram stories and then another on Wednesday (September 4). She also addressed her critics, saying they were unfairly judging her based on a short video clip.
Its kind of scary the way world can judge someone from just a 3 second video, that someone post from one side, without seeing the rest on what was really happening. I was just playing tennis and lost a tough game, which was very close (in my opinion) to turn that match around. After the game (as you can see on a pic) I got very much disappointed and was almost crying, that i didnt do better. At this time the girl was give me the ball,which i didnt even notice or so, because i was deep in my thoughts…Yulia Putintseva wrote in her Instagram post
Putintseva, once ranked as high as world No. 27, had recently seen good results. She beat top players like Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff earlier in the summer.
I was not trying to humiliate her(or anyone) by not taking this ball that she was given to me. I didn't do anything disrespectful to anyone at this particular moment. I do apologize, if this girl thinks that it was something towards her. (And btw her name is Kate , very nice girl, which understood that it was nothing towards her) I cant say, that i am perfect all my career. I am getting angry on court, pissed, saying stupid stuff and curse like no tomorrow sometimes. Guilty for that. But I did never put myself “on top” of someone. That's just not me at all. Hope you guys can see it now from the different angle now. I mean, I know that hates gonna hate, and this message is getting way to long, so I am going to stop right here. And last thing, since Kate is already involved in this mess, I am trying to make something special for her.Yulia Putintseva added
Known for her strong emotions during matches, both good and bad, Putintseva seemed eager to fix the situation. She ended her statement with a promise to make things right.
The US Open creates a reputation of being the most controversial Grand Slam
On Saturday (August 31), Yulia Putintseva appeared to show rude behavior towards a ball kid during her US Open loss against Jasmine Paolini. The Kazakh player was letting the ball go, despite the ball kid throwing balls at her, as she appeared unhappy. This incident is one of many that has contributed to the US Open being labeled the most controversial Grand Slam ever.
In the women’s field, no one has garnered more negative attention than 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. The legendary American’s most infamous controversy came in 2009 when she made inappropriate gestures towards a lineswoman after her serve was called a ‘foot fault.’ The call resulted in two match points for her opponent, Kim Clijsters. However, due to Williams’ outburst, she was given a point penalty, which led to Clijsters winning the match.
Additionally, Williams’ rant towards chair umpire Carlos Ramos in the 2018 US Open final broke the internet. She accused the Spaniard of being a ‘cheat’ after he accused her of receiving coaching during the match. As a result, Ramos issued a game penalty to the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Shifting focus to the men’s field, Novak Djokovic is no stranger to controversy. The Serbian was defaulted after hitting a ball at a line judge during the 2020 US Open fourth round against Pablo Carreno Busta. Although Djokovic did not intend to cause harm, the rules state that any contact with an official results in a default.
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Fahad Hamid
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