Yulia Putintseva vehemently denied allegations of using expletives against Maria Sakkari during their heated confrontation at the ongoing Bad Homburg Open. Sakkari, who received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the WTA 500 event, faced Putintseva in the first round and won 7-5, 7-6(6).
The match was not without its fair share of drama. During the second set’s tiebreak, an initial call favored Putintseva, but Sakkari challenged the decision. The review overturned the call, awarding the Greek the point and ultimately, the match.
Yulia Putintseva Clarifies Misinformation Surrounding Her and Maria Sakkari WTA Drama
Following the conclusion of the match, a tense exchange occurred between Putintseva and Sakkari as they shook hands at the net.
In the aftermath, SPORTbible reported that Putintseva had allegedly directed an expletive at Sakkari.
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However, the Kazakh swiftly refuted this claim, asserting that she did not use any inappropriate language.
“What??? i didnt say any bad words! i said leave me alone,” Putintseva commented.
During the post-match on-court interview, Sakkari reflected on their exchange, that she respects Putintseva as a player, and that is all.
“I don’t think she’s gonna invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don’t care to be honest. I have very good friends, and I’ll go to dinner with them. So let me leave it here and just say that I have respect for her as a player, but that’s it,” Sakkari said.
MORE: Maria Sakkari vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Preview
Where Will Yulia Putintseva and Maria Sakkari Compete Next?
Following the conclusion of her campaign at the 2025 Bad Homburg Open, Putintseva is next set to compete at the Wimbledon Championships, scheduled to take place from Jun. 30 to Jul. 13, 2025, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London.
Last year, at the grass court Major, the Kazakh defeated wild card Angelique Kerber, 27th seed Kateřina Siniaková, and top seed Iga Świątek in the first three rounds. However, her run came to an end in the fourth round when she lost to 13th seed Jeļena Ostapenko.
Meanwhile, following her win over Putintseva in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open, Sakkari is set to face eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. The two players have met seven times on the WTA Tour, with the Greek emerging victorious in six of those encounters. Their most recent clash was in the second round of the 2023 Qatar Open, where Sakkari secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
The winner of the second-round match between Sakkari and Alexandrova will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face either fourth seed Iga Świątek or qualifier Victoria Azarenka.
After the WTA 500 grass court tournament, Sakkari will also compete at the Wimbledon Championships. In 2024, she secured victories over McCartney Kessler and Arantxa Rus before being eliminated by Emma Raducanu in the third round.
