Tempers flared, and emotions ran high in Germany on Sunday, as a tense tennis showdown ended with nothing but grace. Moments after Maria Sakkari secured a straight-sets win over Yulia Putintseva at the Bad Homburg Open, the handshake at the net turned into a heated argument that quickly stole the attention from the match itself.
What looked like a routine post-match gesture quickly changed. Sakkari, who appeared frustrated by Putintseva’s dismissive handshake, followed her opponent to the bench and snapped, “Nobody likes you!”
The Greek star also urged her rival to “act like a human being,” sparking a furious response from Putintseva, who reportedly told Sakkari to “go f*** yourself” while motioning for her to back off.
Verbal Jabs And Lingering Tensions
Spectators on Centre Court barely had time to process what happened. Loud music drowned out parts of the altercation, but Sakkari’s comments came through clearly. After briefly walking away, she returned and demanded, “F****** hell, I’m what?” before repeating her earlier jab: “Nobody likes you.” The chair umpire eventually had to step in, urging both players to calm down.
Not Maria and Putintseva almost got into a fight at the net 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/yEaUF4AYNi
— Camille (@tenniscamfr) June 22, 2025
Putintseva didn’t back down. She responded with a sarcastic bow and a theatrical “thank you very much” as she made her way off the court. The 30-year-old has a history of controversy on court. At last year’s US Open, she faced backlash for ignoring a ball girl during a match against Jasmine Paolini. Two balls bounced away after being tossed toward her, and she stood still, staring blankly. Fans loudly booed, and the incident went viral, prompting her to issue two public apologies.
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In a follow-up statement, Putintseva admitted, “I am getting angry on court, p***ed, saying stupid stuff and curse like no tomorrow sometimes. Guilty for that.” She added that she didn’t mean to disrespect anyone and praised the ball girl involved, saying, “Her name is Kate, very nice girl.”
The latest spat with Sakkari only adds to Putintseva’s growing list of emotional on-court incidents. As the grass-court season heats up, so do tempers, and this latest flare-up has certainly left its mark.
