Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva faced backlash during her US Open match against Jasmine Paolini after appearing to ignore a ball girl, leading to boos from the crowd. In a series of statements, Putintseva expressed her disappointment over the public's reaction, stating that a brief video did not capture the full context of the situation. She explained that she was distracted by her performance and did not intend to disrespect the ball girl, who she later identified as Kate and who reportedly understood the misunderstanding. Critics, including former tennis stars Boris Becker and Rennae Stubbs, condemned her actions as 'disrespectful' and 'obnoxious'. Following the incident, Putintseva issued a public apology and shared additional footage to clarify her perspective. She emphasized the difficulty of being judged from a short clip without understanding the surrounding circumstances.