The incident occurred when the ball girl tossed a ball to Putintseva, but instead of catching it, the Kazakh player let it bounce on the ground without making any attempt to retrieve it.
The awkward exchange led to a brief pause in the match and left spectators questioning the sportsmanship displayed.
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Putintseva later addressed the situation, offering an apology for her behaviour.
She explained that her actions were not directed at the ball girl, but rather a result of her own frustration on the court.
“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 pissed 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 was going on and who gives me the ball,” Putintseva wrote in a statement.
She also praised the ball kids, noting that they were “amazing as always at the Open.”
Despite the incident, the match went on, and Paolini advanced to the fourth round with a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over Putintseva. The Italian player, seeded fifth, continues her impressive run in 2024, having reached at least the fourth round at every Grand Slam this year.
Paolini’s victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium marks her first time making it to Week 2 of the US Open, further solidifying her status as a rising star in women’s tennis.
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