Yulia Putintseva offers an apology.
The tennis player said she was sorry for her behavior toward a ball girl at the 2024 US Open.
The viral moment occurred during Putintseva’s match against Jasmine Paolini on August 31. As seen in videos shared on social media, a ball girl provided the 29-year-old with tennis balls so she could serve. But after the ball girl threw a ball to her, Putintseva didn't move and just let it bounce to the side. So the ball girl tried again. But the same thing happened. It wasn't until the ball girl's third throw that Putintseva caught the ball and continued playing.
The athlete received criticism for her behavior – both from the crowd (whose boos could be heard in the videos) and from social media users.
“I feel sorry for the ball girl,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter, on September 1. “I can't believe Yulia reacted like that.” Another added: “So rude and disrespectful!”
