The simmering feud between Greek tennis star Maria Sakkari and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva has escalated in dramatic fashion ahead of Wimbledon, with fiery exchanges on and off the court.
The tension flared during their recent match at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany, which Sakkari won 7-5, 7-6(6). After the final point, an awkward handshake at the net sparked a verbal confrontation.
Sakkari accused Putintseva of disrespect, saying: “Respect me like a human being,” and later twice told her rival, “Nobody likes you.” Putintseva responded sarcastically, performing a theatrical bow and retorting: “I was being like a human being. Look at yourself.”
The chair umpire eventually stepped in with a firm “Ladies, please,” as tensions boiled over.
Days later, Putintseva reignited the drama on Instagram, posting a cryptic message: “By the way – not that I care – I shook her hand as most women do. Clearly not according to the ‘hugging protocol’ some men seem to follow.”
In another post, she shared a reel showing Sakkari not making eye contact during past handshakes with Martina Trevisan and Emma Raducanu, captioned, “And the plot thickens,” alongside a clown emoji.
Speaking after the match, Sakkari was unfazed: “I don’t think she’s going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives… but I don’t care, to be honest; I have very good friends.”
Putintseva is no stranger to controversy. At the 2024 US Open, she was criticised by tennis legends Boris Becker and Rennae Stubbs for what was seen as disrespectful behaviour toward a ball girl. Though she later apologised, she also criticised the backlash, writing: “It’s kind of scary the way the world can judge someone from just a 3 second video.”
Both players are set to compete in the Wimbledon singles draw, with the tournament kicking off next Monday.
Source: nine.com.au
