Yulia Putintseva faced relentless jeering from Turkish supporters throughout her post-match interview after defeating qualifier Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open.
The Kazakh player, ranked 94th in the world, secured a 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 victory at Kia Arena to progress to the fourth round for the first time in 14 attempts at Melbourne Park.
Rather than being unsettled by the hostile reception, the 31-year-old appeared to relish the atmosphere.
“Honestly, there was a really crazy atmosphere here and the guys, look at them. They are very passionate about what they are doing, and it’s very, very great to see, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle,” she told the crowd.
Turkish fans had packed out the arena to support their compatriot, the world number 112, as she attempted to mount a comeback against the former top-20 player.
Sonmez appeared to have seized momentum when she broke back while Putintseva was serving for the match in the second set, going on to claim the tiebreak and force a deciding set.
However, the Kazakh regrouped to close out the contest in the third.
Yulia Putintseva angered the Australian Open crowd with her antics
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GETTY
After securing victory, Putintseva provoked the crowd further by repeatedly cupping her hand to her ear, a gesture that intensified the booing from Sonmez’s passionate supporters inside the venue.
Putintseva later accused some spectators of crossing the line during pivotal moments in the match.
“But today I think was really a lot of disrespectful moments when they were screaming between my first and second serve. But screaming, not even. Like really loud, like, just to make me mistake,” she explained.
Yulia Putintseva’s reaction to the crowd after beating Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open.
The crowd immediately booed her after she put her hand to her ear.
Yulia starts dancing on the court.
It’s all happening. pic.twitter.com/KqmmP4KYVL
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 23, 2026
The 31-year-old recounted one particular incident at 4-3 when a spectator deliberately coughed loudly as she prepared to strike a forehand on an open court.
“I was like, okay, now, I’m not going to lose. Like, really. I was ready to take it all, but I was ready to fight like until I die there,” she said, adding that some fans simply lacked tennis etiquette.
Putintseva is accustomed to controversy and challenging environments.
At the 2024 US Open, she was compelled to apologise after ignoring a ball girl, and she has previously clashed with Maria Sakkari.
Her Melbourne campaign has already featured another hostile encounter.
Five facts for tennis fans | GETTY/PA
In the opening round, she overcame Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6 7-5 6-3 on Court 6, known as the ‘party court’ due to its built-in bar, where Brazilian supporters had gathered in force.
She responded by waving her arms and bowing to the crowd.
The Kazakh will next meet either Iva Jovic for a quarter-final berth.
Jovic booked her place in the next round with victory over Iva Jović.
