FILE PHOTO: Aug 29, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy on day six of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
(Reuters) - Yulia Putintseva has apologised after receiving criticism on social media for an interaction with a ball girl at the U.S. Open, saying she did not intend to humiliate anyone with her actions.
Videos posted on social media appeared to show the 29-year-old ignoring the ball girl as she tossed balls in the 30th seed's direction during her 6-3 6-4 loss to Jasmine Paolini in a third-round match on Saturday.
The video was shared by six-time major winner Boris Becker, who wrote in a caption: "Who does Putintseva think she is... Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl!!!"
Putintseva, who also apologised on Sunday, explained the incident in an Instagram post, saying: "It's kind of scary the way the world can judge someone from just a three second video, that someone post from one side, without seeing the rest on what was really happening.
"I was just playing tennis and lost a tough game, which was very close (in my opinion) to turn that match around.
"At this time the girl was give me the ball, which I didn’t even notice or so, because I was deep in my thoughts... I was not trying to humiliate her (or anyone)."
The Kazakh, who has struggled to keep her temper under control at times on tour, added she was trying to do "something special" for the ball girl to make amends.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
