Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva has issued a public apology for treating a ball kid with contempt at the US Open.
Putintseva was booed by the crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium for blatantly ignoring the young girl during an ugly moment in her third-round loss to Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Yulia Putintseva booed for treatment of US Open ball kid.
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Frustrated with how she was playing, the No.30 seed stared down the ball kid and didn’t move an inch as the youngster tried to pass her balls for her next serve.
Footage of the moment went viral online, where the 29-year-old could be seen gesturing twice for the kid to offer a ball before both times letting it bounce past her without moving.
She eventually caught a third ball and picked one of the others ones up off the ground as she gathered herself to return to the baseline to serve.
Fans in the stadium were clued on to the moment as soon as it happened, drowning Putintseva in boos before cheering against her for the rest of the match.
Former world No.1 Boris Becker said it was disgusting.
“Who does Putintseva think she is? Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl,” he said.
Outspoke Aussie former player Rennae Stubbs agreed.
“The disrespect and obnoxious behaviour here is unbelievable and typical from her,” she added.
Even British shock jock Pier Morgan chimed in.
“Disgusting arrogance by Yulia Putintseva, the ball girl should have thrown the third one in her taunting face,” he said.
The ball girl kept her composure in the heat of the moment and stayed completely professional, but allowed herself a quiet shake of the head when she returned to her position and Putintseva had left her area.
For that she received widespread support and respect.
“Tremendous effort from the ball girl to raise her arms,” tennis commentator Brad Gilbert said.
“Ball persons should never ever get dissed, since so many former players were a ball kid as well.”
Putintseva eventually released a statement after the loss, apologising for her immaturity.
“I want to apologise to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Honestly speaking it was not about her. I was really pissed at myself by not winning the game from the break point 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 doing amazing as always at the Open.”
