Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Putintseva advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open with a tense 6-3, 6-7(3-7), 6-3 victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez on Kia Arena on Friday.
The match drew a passionate Turkish contingent waving flags and vocally supporting Sonmez, creating a hostile atmosphere that saw Putintseva repeatedly jeered.
After securing the win — her first time reaching the fourth round at Melbourne — Putintseva leaned into the antagonism. She cupped her ear to amplify the boos, then performed a provocative hip-shaking dance near her bench, drawing louder crowd backlash and comparisons to a pro wrestling “heel” villain.
In post-match remarks, the 31-year-old embraced the intensity.
“Honestly, it was a really crazy atmosphere here. Look at them (Turkish fans). They’re very passionate about what they’re doing,” she said, via the New York Post. “It’s very great to see, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle.
“What can I do? It’s just some people have education of tennis and, unfortunately, some of them not. But I’m very happy that I kept my calm, because Yulia last year would probably throw something at them.”
Known for her fiery on-court persona, Putintseva previously drew criticism for a 2024 US Open incident where she appeared to ignore a ball girl in frustration, later issuing a public apology.
Her latest antics have further solidified her reputation as tennis’s unapologetic “bad girl.”
