'Bratty' tennis player faces backlash for 'petulant' ball kid act

"Ball kids should never ever get dissed, since so many former players were ball kids as well."

2 min read

September 2, 2024 - 10:52AM

Family Life

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A professional tennis player has been slammed after a “disgusting” act towards a ball girl during a loss at the US Open.

Yuliya Putintseva, who represents Kazakhstan, was booed by the crowd of New York’s Louis Armstrong Stadium after she snubbed a ball girl and refused to acknowledge her existence during a bizarre moment that has angered tennis commentators.

Putintseva, who is ranked 32nd in the world, appeared to take her frustrations at losing her third-round match on the ball girl by ignoring her while she was in position to pass her tennis balls.

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News.com.au reports a now viral video of the incident shows the 29-year-old not reacting to the ball girl and letting two balls bounce off her leg and torso before she angrily picks up a third ball.

She then went to pick up one of the other discarded balls before walking to the service line.

Yuliya Putintseva was booed by the crowd. Photo: Twitter.

"The disrespect is unbelievable"

Her petulant behaviour did not go unnoticed, as the crowd booed her in the moment and then got right behind her opponent, Italian Jasmine Paolini.

Former tennis players and pundits around the world were also cheering against the Kazakhstani.

German legend Boris Becker wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Who does Putintseva think she is? Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl."

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Aussie champ Rennae Stubbs posted: “The disrespect and obnoxious behaviour here is unbelievable and typical from her."

Piers Morgan also shared a video of the incident and wrote: “Disgusting arrogance by @PutintsevaYulia the ball girl should have thrown the 3rd one in her taunting face."

Leading American tennis commentator Jon Wertheim also wrote: “Those boos weren’t nearly loud enough…. so, so poor, this."

The ball girl was later seen shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the incident. Picture: Twitter

"Ball kids should never get dissed"

Others praised the ball girl's handling of the incident, who held her nerve and carried out her duties despite the frustration from Putintseva.

American tennis commentator Brad Gilbert wrote on Twitter: “Tremendous effort from the Ball girl to raise her arms. Ball persons should never ever get dissed, since so many former players were ball kids as well."

He also mockingly said Putintseva should have been given a “straight red card”.

Another fan wrote: “Absolutely love this ball girl not putting up with any of Putintseva’s bratty nonsense. The ball kids are disrespected far too often. I hope she gets to do at least one of the finals."

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva did not even look at the girl passing her the balls. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP.

"All the ball kids were doing amazing"

News.com.au reports Putintseva later took to social media to apologise for her behaviour.

“I want to apologise to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls,” Putintseva wrote on her Instagram stories.

“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 were doing amazing as always at the open."