Tennis star ripped for treatment of U.S. Open ball girl says controversy has gotten ‘kind of scary’

'I was not trying to humiliate her (or anyone) by not taking this ball that she was given to me'

Published Sep 06, 2024  •  3 minute read

An image posted to Instagram on Sept. 5, 2024 by tennis player Yulia Putintseva, right. Instagram

Yulia Putintseva is attempting to explain her side of the story, saying it’s “scary” to be judged from a “three-second video” of her appearing to show up a ball girl at the U.S. Open.

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During her match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini last Saturday, the Kazakh tennis star received boos from the crowd and much scorn online after appearing to stare down a ball girl and letting the tennis balls bounce off her.

“It’s 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 (sic),” Putinseva posted on Instagram Thursday along with a photo from the interaction. “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 didn’t do better. At this time the girl was give me the ball, which I didn’t even notice or so, because I was deep in my thoughts (sic).”

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Putintseva, who apologized after the uproar from the incident, once again asked forgiveness.

“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).”

During the match, the 29-year-old was standing to the side of the court after a point as the ball girl approached her. While Putintseva appeared to stare down the girl, the ball girl bounced a new tennis ball towards her, which bounced off the player’s chest.

After a hand gesture from Putintseva, the ball girl threw a second ball which the player let bounce off her foot and roll away as the crowd began to boo.

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As the boos intensified, she finally caught the third ball, then picked up one of the other balls and returned to the court.

Putintseva ultimately lost the match 6-3, 6-4 to Paolini.

“Who does Putintseva think she is …,” Boris Becker posted on X with a clip of the interaction. “Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl!!!”

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Putintseva also explained that, while she can get angry on the court, she would never put herself “on top” of another person.

“I can’t 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 too long, so I am going to stop right here.”

To conclude her post, Putintseva said that she would try to make it up to Kate.

“And last thing, since Kate is already involved in this mess, I am trying to make something special for her,” she wrote.

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Putintseva originally apologized in an Instagram Story earlier this week.

“I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls,” Putintseva wrote. “Honestly speaking it was not about her.

“I was really pissed at myself by not winning the game from the break point 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 … All the ball kids was doing amazing as always at the Open.”

Putintseva, a three-time major quarterfinalist, achieved her career-high singles ranking of world No. 27 in February 2017. She has won three singles titles on the WTA Tour and was ranked 30th in this year’s draw for the U.S. Open.

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