TWO rival tennis players clashed in a fiery row following one star’s sarcastic gesture.
And one even told her foe: “Nobody likes you.”
Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva faced off in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open in Germany on Sunday.
Former world No3 Sakkari, 29, came through a tight encounter, winning 7-5 7-6.
But there was none of the usual respect and warmth at the handshake at the net following match point.
They did clasp hands but there was clearly some underlying tension.
And when Putintseva, 30, did not give eye contact as she extended her hand out, Sakkari took exception.
The Greek ace made a comment as her defeated opponent walked towards the umpire.
And that led to a spectacular bust-up, with Kazakhstani Putintseva sarcastically curtsying for the winner.
Both player shook hands with the chair umpire whilst their war of words continued.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Sakkari walked over to Putintseva’s chair and made her feelings clear about the petulant behaviour and Putintseva snapped back.
The courtside microphones appeared to pick up the world No86 telling Putintseva to “act like a human being”.
Putintseva then reportedly told Sakkari to “go f*** herself” as the umpire tries to calm things down, chipping in: “Ladies, please.”
But her rival’s comment lit the fuse for Sakkari who confronted Putintseva again and told her: “Nobody likes you.”
World No27 Putintseva then picked up her racquet bag and towels before bowing in front of Sakkari as the feud escalated.
Quizzed about the drama in her on-court interview, Sakkari joked: “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.
“I have very good friends.”
Tennis stars’ new careers
PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring.
But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best…
- I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun
- I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B
- I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer
- I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend
- I’m last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I’m singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts
- I’m former world No1 but quit aged 29 – instead I went on to play professional poker and golf
- I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist
And the incident sparked plenty of talk among tennis fans on social media – especially as Putintseva has been at the centre of controversy in the past.
She was the female player at the centre of a scandal for her bizarre tantrum towards a ball girl at the US Open in 2024.
One fan wrote: “Sakarri not putting up with Putintseva’s antics and says that’s why nobody likes you. You don’t mess with Maria Sakkari!”
Another said: “The most annoying and unlikable player on the WTA Tour. It’s shameful that a female would behave the way she does.”
A third added: “That was so unnecessary from Maria. That’s not a national news that Yulia’s handshakes (especially after losing) are usually cold. If she wants to behave like that just leave her alone.”
And a final user commented: “Nothing wrong with a bit of passion. We don’t want robots. Wouldn’t want this at every match obviously.”
