Tennis stars Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva clash following game-ending handshake at Bad Homburg Open: 'Nobody likes you'
Two professional women tennis players have had a heated clash following their match at the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday.
Professional tennis players Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva were seen in a heated clash following their match at the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday.
Sakkari defeated Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (6) to move on to the next round of the tennis tournament. As the two competitors came to the net, Putintseva slapped Sakkari's hand and failed to make eye contact as she walked toward the chair umpire.
Sakkari started jawing at Putintseva, and Putintseva responded with a curtsy. Sakkari didn't appear to like what Putintseva said after that and stepped over toward her side to address the comment. — Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 22, 2025
"Nobody likes you," Sakkari was heard telling Putintseva on the broadcast.
Sakkari addressed the incident in her post-match interview after Putintseva walked toward the locker room.
"I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don't care, to be honest," she said, via Tennis.com. "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."
Sakkari advanced to the Round of 16 and awaits her next opponent.
The Greek star will have Wimbledon on her mind as she competes in this tournament. She has two career singles titles in her career and made it as far as the third round of Wimbledon four times, including 2024.
Putintseva, of Kazakhstan, has three singles titles in her career. She made it as far as the fourth round of Wimbledon last year.
Originally published as Tennis stars Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva clash following game-ending handshake at Bad Homburg Open: 'Nobody likes you'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Tennis stars Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva clash following game-ending handshake at Bad Homburg Open: 'Nobody likes you'
Two professional women tennis players have had a heated clash following their match at the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday. Professional tennis players Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva were seen in a heated clash following their match at the Bad Homburg Open on Sunday. Sakkari defeated Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (6) to move on to the next round of the tennis tournament. As the two competitors came to the net, Putintseva slapped Sakkari's hand and failed to make eye contact as she walked toward the chair umpire. Sakkari started jawing at Putintseva, and Putintseva responded with a curtsy. Sakkari didn't appear to like what Putintseva said after that and stepped over toward her side to address the comment. — Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 22, 2025 "Nobody likes you," Sakkari was heard telling Putintseva on the broadcast. Sakkari addressed the incident in her post-match interview after Putintseva walked toward the locker room. "I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don't care, to be honest," she said, via "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." Sakkari advanced to the Round of 16 and awaits her next opponent. The Greek star will have Wimbledon on her mind as she competes in this tournament. She has two career singles titles in her career and made it as far as the third round of Wimbledon four times, including 2024. Putintseva, of Kazakhstan, has three singles titles in her career. She made it as far as the fourth round of Wimbledon last year. Originally published as Tennis stars Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva clash following game-ending handshake at Bad Homburg Open: 'Nobody likes you'
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Bernard Tomic pulls off incredible Mallorca qualifying double to return to ATP Tour main draw
Australian tennis veteran Bernard Tomic is celebrating a return to the top after qualifying for an ATP Tour event for the first time since 2021. The 32-year-old pulled off an impressive double on the grass courts of Mallorca, claiming upset wins over world No.93 Jesper De Jong and world No.77 Aleksandar Kovacevic to reach the main draw. He had not beaten a top-100 rival since February 2023. Tomic, the world No.243, has been an ATP Challenger and third-tier ITF circuit regular and last played an ATP Tour-level event when he qualified for the 2021 Australian Open. He will face fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round at Mallorca. Mallorca will be the high point of the grass season for Tomic, who was in the mix for the Wimbledon qualifying draw before pulling out to focus on the Spanish event. Tristan Schoolkate will lead a 16-strong Australian contingent seeking Wimbledon places — and lucrative pay packets — this week. With 13 Australians (eight man and five women) already guaranteed in the main draw next week, Ilkley Trophy winner Schoolkate will spearhead the challenge to join them in the cut-throat qualifying tournament at nearby Roehampton. Players will have to come through three qualifying matches at the venue 5km from the All England Club to nail down one of the coveted 16 places in each of the singles draws a week on Monday. Making the main draw will guarantee each qualifier at least a £66,000 ($A137,000) pay day even if he or she loses in the first round. Schoolkate, who earned the biggest win of his burgeoning career at the picturesque Challenger event in Ilkley that likes to dub itself the 'Wimbledon of the North', has moved to 102nd in the rankings and is seeking a maiden appearance at the grass-court slam. The 24-year-old, second seed for the qualifying event, opens on Monday against Argentine world No.198 Facundo Diaz Acosta. Last year, Alex Bolt had just 10 minutes notice as an alternate that he would be a late replacement in the qualifying draw and went on to surprise everyone, not least himself, by going on to battle into the main draw. This year, somewhat better prepared, the 32-year-old Murray Bridge veteran will face Frenchman Harold Mayot first up, hoping to make the main draw for a fourth time. Four other Aussie men — Li Tu, Jason Kubler, James McCabe and Omar Jasika — will also open their bids on Monday while the world No.1 junior Emerson Jones will lead the women's qualifying challenge that begins on Tuesday. Jones, who reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon junior finals last year, will be joined in the draw by Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon, Daria Saville, Astra Sharma, Destanee Aiava, Maddison Inglis, Lizette Cabrera, Arina Rodionova and Taylah Preston. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur is not in action in any of the final pre-Wimbledon grass-court events after his early exit at Queen's Club. But seven SW19-bound Australians will feature in the final warm-up tournaments this week, including Tomic. James Duckworth beat British wildcard Johannus Monday 6-4 6-2 and Aleksandar Vukic downed American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-3 to book their places in the Eastbourne International men's main draw. Kim Birrell also made it to the traditional seaside event, defeating Anna Bondar 6-2 6-3 in Eastbourne qualifying, to join the country's top pair, Daria Kasatkina and Maya Joint, in the women's event. Ajla Tomljanovic, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, beat Germany's Eva Lys, who retired when 6-4 3-2 down, to make it into the Bad Homburg WTA main draw.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Nobody likes you': Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva face off after sarcastic act
Two rival tennis players clashed in a fiery row following one star's sarcastic gesture. One even blasted at her foe: 'Nobody likes you.' Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva faced off in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Sunday. Former world No3 Sakkari, 29, came through a tight encounter, winning 7-5 7-6. But there was none of the usual respect and warmth at the handshake at the net following match point. They did clasp hands but there was clearly some underlying tension. And when Putintseva, 30, did not give eye contact as she extended her hand out, Sakkari took exception. Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva got heated during their handshake in Bad Homburg 😳 Watch the full clip here and read more from @Tennis below ðŸ'‡ â€' Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 22, 2025 READ The Greek ace made a comment as her defeated opponent walked towards the umpire. And that led to a spectacular bust-up, with Kazakhstani Putintseva sarcastically curtsying for the winner. Both player shook hands with the chair umpire while their war of words continued. Sakkari walked over to Putintseva's chair and made her feelings clear about the petulant behaviour and Putintseva snapped back. The courtside microphones appeared to pick up the world No86 telling Putintseva to 'act like a human being'. Putintseva then reportedly told Sakkari to 'go f*** herself' as the umpire tries to calm things down, chipping in: 'Ladies, please.' But her rival's comment lit the fuse for Sakkari who confronted Putintseva again and told her: 'Nobody likes you.' World No27 Putintseva then picked up her racquet bag and towels before bowing in front of Sakkari as the feud escalated. Quizzed about the drama in her on-court interview, Sakkari joked: 'I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives. 'But I don't care to be honest. 'I have very good friends.' And the incident sparked plenty of talk among tennis fans on social media – especially as Putintseva has been at the centre of controversy in the past. She was the female player at the centre of a scandal for her bizarre tantrum towards a ball girl at the US Open in 2024. One fan wrote: 'Sakarri not putting up with Putintseva's antics and says that's why nobody likes you. You don't mess with Maria Sakkari!' Another said: 'The most annoying and unlikeable player on the WTA Tour. It's shameful that a female would behave the way she does.' A third added: 'That was so unnecessary from Maria. That's not a national news that Yulia's handshakes (especially after losing) are usually cold. If she wants to behave like that just leave her alone.' And a final user commented: 'Nothing wrong with a bit of passion. We don't want robots. Wouldn't want this at every match obviously.'
