Putintseva’s US Open meltdown: Seven times when players and ball kids have clashed
Yulia Putintseva has been condemned for her behaviour towards a ball kid in the US Open during her third round loss to Jasmine Paolini.
The Russian-born Kazakh has apologised after refusing to accept balls from a girl and letting them roll away on court in apparent contempt.
The world number 32 let her frustrations out on the teenager but has said she was actually infuriated at herself after missing the chance to break the serve of Paolini. She went on to lose the match 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday.
Putintseva later said: “I want to apologise to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls.
“Honestly speaking, it was not about her. I was really pissed off at myself by not winning the game from the breakpoint and then got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what’s going on and who gives me the ball…”
She added: “All the ball kids were doing amazing as always at the Open.”
Putintseva has now been criticised online, with Boris Becker tweeting: “Who does Putintseva think she is? Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl.”
But it is far from the first time that a player has been criticised for their treatment of a ball kid.
Here are some of the moments of shame over the years.
After hitting a volley into the net, Henman let out his frustration by smashing the ball away. Unfortunately, it went straight into the ear of a ball girl, and Henman / Bates were disqualified.
Novak Djokovic disqualified from US Open
Eden Hazard kicks a time-wasting ball boy
Chelsea needed a late goal against Swansea to keep a League Cup semi-final alive in January 2013 and their playmaker Eden Hazard was a good bet to provide it.
But when a Swansea ball boy clung onto the ball and refused to let go, the Belgian midfielder was kicked out and was subsequently sent off.
The 17-year-old boy later admitted he was trying to time waste and both parties apologised to each other, but ultimately the Welsh side went through and won the cup.
Nadal’s love-love relationship with ball kids
In another funny incident, the Spaniard mysteriously lost his racket while playing in a 2023 Australian Open tie – and jokingly blamed the ball kid – before beating Britain’s Jack Draper.
And finally… the revenge of the ball kid
Ball kids are often on the receiving end of players’ theatrics but the tables turned during a strange incident at this year’s French Open.
Nicolas Jarry was floored when a ball boy, rushing for a ball, didn’t see the Chilean player and ran straight into him. Jarry still beat Corentin Moutet in three sets.