Tennis Stars Sakkari, Putintseva Clash in Heated Bad Homburg Exchange

Tennis players Yulia Putintseva and Maria Sakkari engaged in a heated on-court altercation following their first-round match at the Bad Homburg Open, where Sakkari won 7-5, 7-6. The conflict escalated after a frosty handshake, with Sakkari telling Putintseva to "act like a human being" and saying "nobody likes you," while Putintseva responded by telling Sakkari to "go f*** yourself" and sarcastically curtsying. The argument continued both on court and on social media, with Putintseva posting images that suggested Sakkari herself avoids eye contact during handshakes, captioned "And the plot thickens..." alongside a clown emoji. Sakkari acknowledged the feud but expressed indifference, stating she does not expect a future friendship but maintains respect for Putintseva as a player. The incident drew attention to tensions between the two rivals, highlighting ongoing controversies in Putintseva's career and Sakkari's competitive intensity. Both players are preparing for upcoming matches, with Sakkari advancing to face either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Belinda Bencic.