The women’s tennis world witnessed an unprecedented confrontation between two well-known figures, Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva, during the 2025 Bad Homburg Open (WTA 500, June 23-29, Germany), leaving fans and the online community stunned. What began as a simple post-match handshake quickly escalated into a heated argument that exposed the pressures, personalities, and friction within top-level women’s tennis.
After Sakkari defeated Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 in the first round, both players approached the net for the traditional handshake. However, instead of a sporting gesture, Putintseva merely brushed Sakkari’s hand with a cold and dismissive attitude, followed by a mocking nod.
Sakkari, visibly upset, immediately responded: “Behave like human beings.” Putintseva replied: “I already behave like a human being, look at yourself first.”
The tension escalated further when Sakkari followed Putintseva toward the benches, exchanging heated words. The climax came when Putintseva made an aggressive comment, and Sakkari responded, “Nobody likes you. When you shake hands, look the person in the eye.”
The crowd in Bad Homburg was amazed by the fierce confrontation, with some even booing both players and expressing their disappointment at the lack of sportsmanship displayed on the court.
🙍♀️ The dark side of women’s tennis: Beyond the personal
The incident between Sakkari and Putintseva is not an isolated case in the world of women’s tennis. Previously, Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Ostapenko also shocked everyone with a tense confrontation at the Qatar Open, where Ostapenko rejected a handshake and simply extended her racket toward Azarenka. Azarenka responded forcefully: “If someone acts like that, I will too. I’m not the one who starts it, but if someone wants to play that game, I’m ready.”
These incidents demonstrate that the pressure of results, strong personalities, and fierce competition have led some players to respond aggressively to their opponents, even displaying outspoken attitudes during matches.
Although these disputes generate controversy, they are part of a high-level competition where emotions run high and not all players manage to remain calm at all times.
🗣️ Controversy after the “exchange of words” between the two players
Following the incident, many experts and former players argued that these types of confrontations only harm the image of professional women’s tennis, especially when they are broadcast live worldwide. However, there were also those who argued that this is simply an inevitable consequence of the fierce competition and the strong personalities of the world’s best players.
Sakkari, for her part, was honest after the match: “I respect her as a tennis player, but off the court, I’m not interested. I have my friends, and I go out to dinner with them; I don’t have to be friends with everyone.”
The WTA CEO, in this regard, stated that if both players want to continue competing, they must stop this type of behavior and maintain discipline on the court, warning that he could take drastic measures if they do not change their behavior.
