Maria Sakkari, Yulia Putintseva Have Heated Exchange at Bad Homburg

Tensions flared at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany after Greece's Maria Sakkari defeated Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in the first round, with a 7-5, 7-6(6) scoreline. The conflict arose when Sakkari criticized Putintseva's handshake for lack of eye contact, prompting Putintseva to respond with an exaggerated curtsy and a sarcastic retort. The exchange escalated as Sakkari urged Putintseva to "just be like a human being," and Putintseva reportedly swore and gestured at Sakkari, leading to intervention by the chair umpire. Despite the heated encounter, Sakkari expressed respect for Putintseva as a player but acknowledged there was no friendship between them. Sakkari will face either Ekaterina Alexandrova or Belinda Bencic in the next round as she prepares for Wimbledon, which begins on June 30. The incident highlighted the competitive and sometimes contentious nature of professional tennis rivalries.