There’s definitely some tension between Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva.
Their rivalry flared up after their match at the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday, where Sakkari reportedly told Putintseva, “No one likes you.”
This all started after Sakkari won the first round of the tournament with scores of 7-5, 7-6 (6) and the two shook hands afterward.
You could feel the friction during their encounter. Sakkari appeared visibly upset when Putintseva waved and seemed to say something to her, and that kicked off an exchange. It’s worth noting that Putintseva had offered Sakkari a rather sarcastic gesture, which didn’t help the situation.
As they approached the umpire for the customary handshake, Sakkari suggested they make eye contact “like humans.”
Then, Sakkari walked toward Putintseva’s bench, and their argument escalated. Sakkari later expressed her frustration on Twitter, saying “F-King Hell,” and added that she didn’t like anyone.
In the end, the umpire had to intervene, telling Putintseva to leave the court.
There’s some ambiguity around why he felt the need to encourage Putintseva to shake hands, as she’s been quite vocal in the past.
“I doubt she’ll be inviting me to dinner anytime soon, but that’s fine,” Sakkari remarked to an interviewer afterward. “I have great friends to go out with. Just to clarify, I respect her as a player.”
Currently, Sakkari is ranked 85th among female tennis players, while she previously held a third-place position in the WTA. Putintseva is ranked 34th.
In a cheeky Instagram story, Putintseva mentioned, “Just so you know, I waved at her, like most women do. Apparently, not everyone follows the ‘Hugging Protocol’ like some guys seem to.”
Looking ahead, Sakkari will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the next round as Wimbledon gears up to start on June 30th.
