US_Open_star’s_‘terrible_behaviour’_slammed_as_ball_girl_left_‘humiliated’(360p)
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00:00Kazakh tennis player Yulia Putintseva has come under fire for her conduct during her
00:04third-round match at the 2024 US Open, which saw her face off against Jasmine Paulini.
00:11The 30th seed's behavior sparked outrage after a video circulated on social media, showing
00:16her repeatedly ignoring a ball girl during the match, leading to widespread criticism
00:21from fans and former players alike.
00:23The incident occurred as Putintseva, visibly frustrated with her performance, prepared
00:28to serve.
00:30The footage shows the ball girl trying to toss balls to Putintseva, who allows the first
00:34two balls to bounce off her without any acknowledgment.
00:37Player, who was apparently staring directly at the ball girl, only caught the third ball,
00:43all while avoiding eye contact or communication.
00:46The US Open crowd reacted with boos as they witnessed the exchange, expressing disapproval
00:51of how the ball girl was being treated.
00:54This moment quickly spread across social media, with many condemning Putintseva for
00:58her apparent disregard for the young ball girl's efforts.
01:02Among the notable voices was former world number one Boris Becker, who took to Twitter,
01:07now known as X, to voice his discontent.
01:10Becker's post read,
01:11''Who does Putintseva think she is?
01:14Terrible behavior towards the ball girl.''
01:17His comments were echoed by former Spanish tennis player Feliciano Lopez, who is now
01:22the director of the Madrid Open.
01:25Lopez described the incident as a humiliation of the ball girl, adding,
01:29''Shame on her!''
01:31Humiliation of a ball kid is the last thing you do on a tennis court.
01:36Putintseva's conduct became a focal point of discussion, overshadowing her match against
01:40Paolini.
01:42Despite her strong start in the tournament, Putintseva struggled during the game, eventually
01:46losing to the French Open and Wimbledon runner-up in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
01:52Her frustrations seemed to boil over during the match, and it was later revealed that
01:56she had been upset with her own performance, particularly after failing to capitalize on
02:01a crucial breakpoint.
02:03In the aftermath of the backlash, Putintseva issued an apology via her Instagram story,
02:08addressing the incident and attempting to explain her actions.
02:12''I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was when she was giving me balls,''
02:17she wrote.
02:18''Honestly speaking, it was not about her.
02:21I was really p***ed off at myself for not winning the game from the breakpoint, and
02:27then I got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts so I wasn't even focusing on
02:31what's going on or who was giving me the ball.''
02:34She also praised the ball kids at the US Open, saying,
02:37''All the ball kids were doing amazing as always at the Open.''
02:42Despite the apology, many critics, including media personality Piers Morgan, were unconvinced
02:47by Putintseva's explanation.
02:49Morgan accused her of displaying ''disgusting arrogance'' on the court, fueling further
02:54debate about the incident.
02:56Following the controversy, Putintseva's match quickly unraveled, and she won only two more
03:01games before Paolini secured victory.
03:04The Kazakh player's exit from the tournament earned her $215,000 in prize money for reaching
03:09the third round, but her conduct toward the ball girl has left a lasting impression on
03:14tennis fans and commentators, who continue to debate her behavior.
03:18The incident serves as a reminder of the scrutiny players face not only for their athletic performance
03:24but also for how they conduct themselves on and off the court.