Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva traded insults in a heated exchange following their clash at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Sunday.
Maria Sakkari Tells Yulia Putintseva “Nobody Likes You”
There was plenty of drama at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Sunday, as Maria Sakkari told Yulia Putintseva ‘nobody likes you’ in a heated exchange following their round of 32 clash.
Sakkari overcame the Kazakhstani star 7-5 7-6 (8-6) before trading insults.
As the pair walked up to the net to shake hands, Sakkari was heard saying, “when you shake hands with someone, look them in the eyes” before adding, “nobody likes you”.
Putintseva was heard telling Sakkari to “go f*** yourself”, with the argument continuing as the world No. 27 headed for the changing rooms.
“I don’t think she’s going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don’t care,” Sakkari told an on-court interviewer in the aftermath of the incident.
“I have very good friends, and I’ll go to dinner with them. Let me leave it here and just say that I have respect for her as a player, but that’s it.”
WATCH: Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva Heated Exchange in Bad Homburg
Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva got heated during their handshake in Bad Homburg 😳
Watch the full clip here and read more from @Tennis below 👇 https://t.co/Xi8KegqHOu pic.twitter.com/wvS84NILKu
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 22, 2025
Putintseva Responds: “I Shook Her Hand As Most Women Do”
Responding on her Instagram account, Putintseva extended the feud on Monday.
She posted a story with the caption: “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.”
The 30-year-old followed that up by reposting a video which showed Sakkari shaking hands with Emma Raducanu and Martina Trevisan.
In both examples, Sakkari failed to look her opponents in the eye.
Putintseva’s repost was accompanied with the caption “And the plot thickens…” with a clown emoji.
This isn’t the first time that Putintseva has been involved in controversy either. In September, Putintseva issued a public apology for her ‘terrible behaviour’ towards a ball girl at the US Open.
Tennis fans and pundits were left shocked as the former world No. 20 seemingly blanked a ball girl after she threw two balls towards the Russian-born star, allowing the balls to roll away.
It left the ball girl in an incredibly awkward situation, and the crowd were quick to turn against Putintseva, booing and whistling her as the match got back underway.
“I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls,” she said.
“Honestly speaking it was not about her. I was really p****d at my self by not winning the game from the breakpoint 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.”
Sakkari, meanwhile, returns to action in Bad Homburg on Tuesday as she takes on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.
