Brad Gilbert has become the latest tennis legend to hit out at Kazakhstan player Yulia Putintseva for her disrespectful behavior towards a ball girl at the US Open.
Putintseva, the world No. 32, allowed her frustration to boil over during her third-round defeat to Jasmine Paolini at Flushing Meadows Sunday.
However, it was a ball girl at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center who suffered at the hands of Putintseva’s wrath, earning the 29-year-old player boos from the crowd.
With the Kazakhstan player losing the first-set and going 4-2 down in the second, there was an ugly moment when a ball girl attempted to throw balls towards her before she took serve.
Putintseva stared at the ball girl blankly with her arms down by her side, making no effort to catch the balls and instead just looking at them as they rolled away from her feet.
Brad Gilbert has become the latest tennis legend to hit out at US Open player Yulia Putintseva
Putintseva, 29, was slammed for her ‘terrible behavior’ towards a ball girl at the US Open
Putintseva ignored the ball girl’s attempts to throw the balls towards her, letting the first one hit her torso (left) while the second one bounced off her feet and rolled away (right)
She has since taken to social media to apologize for her actions after many on social media criticized her for her treatment of the ball girl.
US tennis legend Gilbert, who coaches last year’s champion Coco Gauff, joined the likes of Boris Becker in slamming Putintseva for the ugly moment.
‘Tremendous effort from the Ball girl to raise her arms and hold her position, bravo,’ posted Gilbert in response to a tweet branding Putintseva’s actions ‘disrespectful.’
‘I know frustration can happen to any players but ball persons should never ever get dissed, since so many former players were a ball kid as well.
He also mockingly quipped that Putintseva should have been shown a ‘straight red card.’
The tennis commentator was just one of many condemning Putintseva, with Becker calling her out for her ‘terrible behavior.’
‘Who does Putintseva think she is… terrible behavior towards the ball girl,’ wrote Becker, who won the US Open in 1989
His tweet was in response to one which described it as an ‘ugly moment’ during the match.
Putintseva did not acknowledge the ball girl as she caught the third ball, as the young girl held her arms out almost in disbelief at what just happened
Gilbert, who coaches last year’s champion Coco Gauff, joined the backlash against Putintseva
Piers Morgan also took to social media and hit out at Putintseva’s ‘disgusting arrogance’.
He wrote: ‘Disgusting arrogance by @PutintsevaYulia – the ball girl should have thrown the third one in her taunting face.’
Putintseva later took to social media after her straight set defeat and wrote: ‘I want to apologize 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 p***ed off at myself for 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.
‘All the ball kids was [sic] doing amazing as always at the Open.’
The first ball that the young girl attempted to pass to Putintseva was ignored by the Kazakhstan player who instead let it hit her torso and bounce away.
Her second attempt at throwing the ball to the player was again ignored as it bounced off Putintseva’s feet – and the player turned her head to watch it roll away from her.
Putintseva has since taken to social media to apologise for her actions and said that she was ‘p***ed off’ with herself at the time of the match when it happened during a straight-set defeat
Former US Open champion Boris Becker has hit out at Putintseva’s behaviour on social media
Jasmine Paolini beat the Kazakhstan player in straight sets to reach the fourth round
That was when loud boos were directed at Putintseva, who caught the third ball without acknowledging the ball girl.
Putintseva then looked to grab one of the balls which she previously ignored, as the ball girl had her arms stretched out wide.
There was no acknowledgement towards the ball girl as Putintseva returned to the baseline, and footage showed the ball girl returning to her station with a wry smile and shaking her head at what just happened.
Putintseva won just two more games as fifth seed Paolini cruised through to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
