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Tennis stars clash following game-ending handshake: 'Nobody likes you'
By Ryan Gaydos
Published June 22, 2025
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.
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March 22, 2025; Miami, FL: Maria Sakkari (GRE) reacts after winning a point against Coco Gauff (USA)(not pictured) on day five of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
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.
"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.
TENNIS PLAYER CALLS OPPONENT 'LITTLE PIG' AND 'PIECE OF S---' AFTER LOSING HEATED MATCH IN GERMANY
Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in action during her round-of-32 match against Britain's Heather Watson in Britain. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge)
"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.
Greece's Maria Sakkari in action during her round of 64 match against Poland's Magda Linette in France. (REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel)
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Putintseva, of Kazakhstan, has three singles titles in her career. She made it as far as the fourth round of Wimbledon last year.
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