Tensions ran high in Bad Homburg on Sunday (June 22) following a heated exchange between Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva after their first-round match. The confrontation unfolded on center court at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Germany.
Sakkari, former World No. 3, secured a hard-fought victory with scores of 7-5, 7-6 (6), but the post-match handshake with Yulia Putintseva left much to be desired. In a moment captured by the court microphones, Sakkari remarked, “When you shake hands with someone, look them in the eyes.”
Putintseva, in turn, reacted with an exaggerated curtsy, prompting Sakkari to urge her counterpart to “Just be like a human being.” The exchange did not end there, as the two continued trading barbs, with Putintseva telling the Greek player to “go f*** yourself.”
In response, Sakkari repeatedly told her opponent, “nobody likes you,” likely referring to their fellow players. It’s not the first time Putintseva has made headlines for unsportsmanlike conduct. At the US Open last year, she was heavily criticized for mistreating a ball girl.
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Sakkari attempted to downplay the incident
In an interview on court, Sakkari candidly acknowledged the strained relationship between the pair. “I don’t think she’s going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don’t care,” she stated. “I have very good friends and I’ll go to dinner with them.”
Despite the off-court tension, Sakkari maintained a professional demeanor, noting, “Let me leave it here, and just say that I have respect for her as a player, but that’s it.” Her focus now shifts to the next round, where she will face Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Meanwhile, Putintseva and Sakkari are both set to play in Wimbledon, which starts on June 30. Last year, Sakkari lost in the fourth round to Emma Raducanu, while Putintseva reached the Round of 16, failing to Jelena Ostapenko.
