Putintseva Apologizes Again for Ball Girl Incident at U.S. Open

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva has issued a second apology for her unsportsmanlike behavior towards a ball girl during her third round loss at the U.S. Open, acknowledging that her actions were perceived as disrespectful.

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva has issued a second apology for her unsportsmanlike behavior towards a ball girl during her third round loss at the U.S. Open, acknowledging that her actions were perceived as disrespectful.

Putintseva, 29, faced backlash on social media after she appeared to give the ball girl a cold shoulder during the second set of her match against Italy's Jasmine Poalini on Saturday. Fans deemed the moment disrespectful and humiliating for the girl.

Putintseva Apologizes Again for Ball Girl Incident at U.S. Open

Following the incident, Putintseva apologized, saying that she was upset by her performance. However, in a second apology, she turned her attention toward her critics and denied doing "anything disrespectful."

"It's kind of scary the way [the] world can judge someone from just a 3 second video, that someone posts from one side, without seeing the rest [of] what was really happening," she wrote in a post on Instagram. "I was just playing tennis and lost a tough game, which was very close (in my opinion) to turn that match around."

Putintseva Apologizes Again for Ball Girl Incident at U.S. Open

Putintseva included two pictures that she says show her emotions at the moment.

"After the game (as you can see on a pic) I got very much disappointed and was almost crying, that I didn't do better. At this time the girl was [giving] me the ball, which I didn't even notice or so, because I was deep in my thoughts…"

Putintseva Apologizes Again for Ball Girl Incident at U.S. Open

"I was not trying to humiliate her (or anyone) by not taking this ball that she was given to me. I didn't do anything disrespectful to anyone at this particular moment. I do apologize, if this girl thinks that it was something towards her."

Putintseva said the girl, who she identified as Kate, was "very nice" and that she was working on doing "something special for her." She added that she never viewed herself as above anyone.

"I can't say that I am perfect all my career. I am getting angry on court, pissed, saying stupid stuff and curse like no tomorrow sometimes," she continued. "But I never put myself ‘on top’ of someone. That’s just not me at all. Hope you guys can see it now from the different angle now. I mean, I know that [haters] gonna hate…"

The incident has sparked a debate about the expectations of sportsmanship in tennis, with some fans arguing that Putintseva's behavior crossed a line while others defended her, claiming she was simply frustrated with her performance.

Putintseva's actions have drawn comparisons to a similar incident involving Serena Williams in 2018, when she was accused of disrespecting a linesman during the U.S. Open final. Williams later apologized for her behavior.

It remains to be seen whether Putintseva's apology will be enough to quell the controversy, but the incident has certainly highlighted the importance of sportsmanship in professional tennis.