Watch: Maria Sakkari tells Yulia Putintseva 'nobody likes you' in tennis spat
Maria Sakkari (pictured) beat Yulia Putintseva in straight sets in the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday in Bad Homburg, Germany. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo
June 23 (UPI) -- Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva exchanged harsh words during a tense tennis tiff after their meeting at the Bad Homburg Open, with Sakkari telling the her Russian-born foe that "nobody" likes her.
The intense exchange, which was filmed by Tennis Channel, occurred Sunday in Bad Homburg, Germany. Sakkari became upset when she went to shake hands with Putintseva, who briefly touched her hand before looking away and stepping off the court.
The Greek tennis star responded to the perceived slight by voicing her displeasure toward Putintseva, who now represents Kazakhstan.
"Just be like, a human being," Sakkari said.
"I was a human being," Putintseva responded.
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
The two continued to trade insults, with Putintseva appearing to tell Sakkari to "go [expletive] yourself," before Sakkari said "nobody likes you" and told her she should look people in the eyes when shaking hands.
"I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives," Sakkari said in her post-match, on-court interview. "But I don't care, to be honest. I have very good friends, so I'll go to dinner with them.
"Let me leave it here and say I have respect for her as a player, but that's it."
Putintseva, ranked No. 34 in the world, extended the feud Monday with several Instagram posts. One of the posts showed screenshots of Sakkari looking away during handshakes after several of her matches.
"By the way, not that I care, I shook her hand as most women do," Putintseva wrote on her Instagram story. "Clearly not according to the 'hugging protocol' some men seem to follow."
Sakkari is now 3-1 in her career against Putintseva. She held a 10-2 advantage in aces and converted 2 of 5 break point chances in Sunday's 7-5, 7-6(6) win. Sakkari, ranked No. 85, will face No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in a Round of 16 match Tuesday in Bad Homburg.
The grass-court tournament is a warmup for Wimbledon, which will be held from June 30 to July 13 in London.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Jailton Almeida would happily accept UFC title shot, but really wants Alexander Volkov
Jon Jones' retirement and Tom Aspinall's undisputed crowning sent shockwaves through the combat sports world, but the news meant more to Jailton Almeida than pretty much everyone. With the divisional fog that's loomed over the heavyweight division for nearly two years finally lifted, Almeida (22-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is on the shortlist of fighters in the discussion for Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC). "I'm happy with the news," Almeida told MMA Junkie on Monday through a Portuguese language interpreter. "The division is finally going to move. That's a great thing. I am a little surprised about how things went about. Dana White just giving us the information at a press conference is a little weird for the size of Jon Jones and everything he represents. To get the news like that, that he's retiring, is a little surprising. But I can't complain. On my side, I can't complain, I might finally get a chance to move forward." Almeida has been in limbo since his win over Serghei Spivac in January. He confirmed the UFC offered him a June 14 bout vs. Alexander Volkov, but the Russian heavyweight could not take it. The promotion then pointed to sometime in the fall, but now Almeida said he's unsure about that, too. "It's not looking like it's happening either," Almeida said. "I've just been focusing on working on myself, working on my game and helping all my training partners. ... We're still waiting because that's a fight that I think moves me forward and toward our goal. But if it's Volkov, if it's Gane, if it's Aspinall, I'm training and getting better and getting ready for whatever comes next. Maybe I'll be a reserve for a title fight if they don't give it to me. Who knows? The original fight was supposed to be Volkov and that's a fight that I really want. But if it's not going to happen, there's nothing to do about it and I just move forward. We have to move forward." Almeida, Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC), and former interim champion Ciryl Gane are the three names fight fans have repeatedly brought up since Saturday's crowning of Aspinall. Gane and Volkov most recently appeared against one another in December when Gane won a controversial split decision. While UFC CEO Dana White has declined to reveal the promotion's lean in terms of Aspinall's first fight as undisputed champion, the promotion announced Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho as a main event for its return to Paris in September. Given Gane's popularity and history as a Paris headliner, that could indicate the Frenchman is next for the British champion. Though Almeida acknowledges the "best case scenario" of a title shot is unlikely, he remains firm that he is the most difficult test in the division for Aspinall, who typically holds a significant grappling advantage over his opponents. "Looking at the current scene, Volkov as much as the win was controversial for Gane, had Volkov won, maybe he'd be in title conversations," Almeida said. "But coming off a loss, even if it was a robbery, you can't having a guy coming off a loss fighting for the title right away, unless he's a huge name, which is unfortunately not the case for him. Then, we've got Gane who is coming off a (win) that is controversial and who has already fought for the title a couple times. He was successful in the interim, I think. He's probably the strongest name of the people who are on the run. He's already been there. He's done it. He hasn't been super successful, so I think I'm the most interesting fight to make at this moment. I'm coming off two good wins and I got a bonus in my last one. I haven't fought for a title and I haven't fought Aspinall. Everything considered, I think I have to be the best option for them unless they are really stuck on having to do something with Gane. I think right now, I'm what the division needs." Until clarity comes, Almeida said he'll continue to be in the gym, as he helps training partners Samuel Sanches and Felipe Franco prepare for their Sept. 9 bouts on Dana White's Contender Series. When the phone rings, Almeida said he'll be ready. If it's Volkov next, Almeida will be content. If it's Aspinall, he thinks he'll prove to the world who the best heavyweight is. "Aspinall is an extremely talented fighter," Almeida said. "We've seen him grapple. We've seen him boxing. Everything is very on point with him. He's one of the best that is out there. We haven't seen him deal with pressure. I think now with Volkov, he did a little, maybe. But he wasn't able to get through with it. I think if anybody is going to be able to do it, it's going to be me. I believe I can neutralize him. Once I have control of him, I can put pressure and possibly even get a finish. I'd work really hard toward that because that's my style. As talented as he is, we have to still see how good his defensive side is. If it's not up to par, then I can probably get a finish either by strikes or by submission. "There's only one way for us to find out and that's to match the fight. That's the thing. If I do get a title fight, you can expect me to be fighting for my life. I'll give everything I have and more to get out of there with the title. This is a long dream of mine and if I do get the opportunity from the UFC, I can guarantee they're going to be happy with what they get."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fifa considers options for Iran at 2026 World Cup after conflict with hosts US
Iran have qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup but face playing in the US which has imposed a travel ban on their citizens. Iran have qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup but face playing in the US which has imposed a travel ban on their citizens. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA Fifa is facing new questions over the increasingly fraught World Cup next year, with the issue of how to treat Iran while the country is involved in a conflict with the co-host the US. There are no provisions within Fifa's regulations to prevent Iran from playing their group matches in the US, despite the country being subject to military action by the Trump administration and Iranian citizens being under a travel ban that prevents them from entering the country. The ban contains an exemption that could apply to players, staff or associated families with teams at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Advertisement Iran, who faced USA in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, qualified in March for their fourth consecutive World Cup. Although 2026 is also being hosted by Canada and Mexico, only by being given a specific slot in group A could Iran avoid playing in the US, with their matches then taking place in Mexico. Related: Fifa again under scrutiny for World Cup's increased carbon footprint If Iran won that group they would stay in Mexico for their last-32 game and any last-16 match. Should they go further – and they have never reached a World Cup knockout game – they would then play in the US. Fifa did not respond on Monday to a request for comment from the Guardian and will likely be considering its options before the World Cup draw, which is due to take place in December. The decision will be a difficult one for its president, Gianni Infantino, who has associated himself closely with President Donald Trump, who authorised the use of US bombs on Iranian nuclear sites last weekend. Advertisement Infantino and the Fifa Council will have the final say on inclusion in the competition and the makeup of the draw, but the organising committee for Fifa competitions will be expected to have input. The committee has members from Canada, Mexico and Iran, and its chair is Uefa's president, Aleksander Ceferin. In 2022, his organisation announced that Ukraine and Belarus would be kept apart in Uefa competition draws, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and his action may provide an example for Fifa to follow. Before the World Cup draw in Qatar, the agreed draw constraints included limitations on where teams could be selected but this related only to a 'general principle' that no more than one team from each confederation (excluding Europe) should appear in a given group.
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Free agent OT Jesse Davis officially retires
Offensive tackle Jesse Davis, who last played in the NFL in 2023, called it a career Monday. 'After 10 years, I'm officially retiring from the NFL,' Davis wrote in an Instagram post. 'Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, fans, and most importantly, my family. Without you guys, I wouldn't have made it this far. Thank you to all the organizations that gave me the opportunity to play the game I love. I've had an incredible ride that I'll never forget. Now it's time to be a full-time dad and figure out my next chapter.' Davis went undrafted in 2015 but ended up finding a home with the Dolphins. He played 80 games, with 72 starts, in five seasons with Miami. Davis also played for the Steelers and 49ers and spent time with the Vikings. In his career, he appeared in 95 games with 72 starts. He played five special teams snaps in one game for the 49ers in 2023, his last career action. Davis signed with the Saints during training camp in 2024, but the team released him out of the preseason.
