Todd Woodbridge and Dylan Alcott have warned Yulia Putinsteva to brace for the crowd to once again be against her due to her actions after beating Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open on Friday. And Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena has taken aim at Naomi Osaka as the tennis world debates two acts of ‘disrespect’ in two days.
Putinsteva is a divisive character in women’s tennis, and often engages with the crowd and gets under the skin of opponents. The Kazakh player put her hand to her ear and then danced in front of vocal Turkish fans after knocking their player out of the tournament in the third round.
Yulia Putintseva (L) was been warned about the repercussions of her actions at the Australian Open, while Jelena Djokovic (R) has weighed in on the Naomi Osaka situation. Image: First Serve/Getty
Putinsteva was booed during her on-court interview before accusing fans of “disrespect” throughout the match. The crowd was well-and-truly on Sonmez’s side, with the emerging player earning a cult following at Melbourne Park from Turkish fans. But Putinsteva said they went too far at times.
“Today I think was really a lot of disrespectful moments when they were screaming between my first and second serve,” she said. “Screaming … really loud to make me mistake.
“At 4-3, was a big point, opened court very good, I take my forehand, the guy just started coughing just for my shot. I was like, OK now, I’m not going to lose.
“I was ready to take it all, but I was ready to fight like until I die there. It’s just some people have education of tennis and, some of them not. They were disrespectful in the moment when it was important, and they could see it’s important.”
Discussing Putinsteva’s antics on Saturday, Woodbridge and Alcott said they didn’t really like the dancing. “If you get in their face like this, and you’re a bit gritty… it got a bit in in-your-face to the opponent,” Woodbridge said.
Alcott said it will only make Putinsteva even more of a villain, a la what happened with Danielle Collins last year. “Not my vibe,” Alcott said. “I think you’re also asking for it from the crowd, next time you play. We’ll see what happens when she steps back on the court.”
Yulia Putintseva taunted fans at the Australian Open after copping what she thought was ‘disrespectful’ treatment. Image: Getty
Novak Djokovic’s wife weighs in on Naomi Osaka drama
The Putinsteva drama came after Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena weighed in on the Naomi Osaka situation and sensationally claimed her actions were “disrespectful” as well. Sorana Cirstea wasn’t happy with some of Osaka’s shouts of “c’mon”, particularly in between a first and second serve at one stage.
Osaka said she was simply revving herself up, but many thought it broke an unwritten rule that you don’t make noise while an opponent is serving. Jelena Djokovic weighed in with an extraordinary statement on Friday, saying: “I’m surprised that this is not being called hindrance. In between two serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting, the chair ump asks not to shout between serves as it is disturbing to the player.
“The point is not finished. Sorana missed her first serve and is focusing on getting in the second, it is a slight pause. And it is disrespectful to applaud at someone’s first serve mistake too.
“Were there any rule changes that I missed?! She as a professional player would know that it is definitely NOT in between first and second serve of your opponent.”
While many agreed with Jelena, a lot said they thought Cirstea overreacted and Osaka didn’t really do much wrong.