WATCH: Wimbledon match ends with explosive verbal clash
After Maria Sakkari beat Yulia Putintseva, things got heated on the grass court.
When sportspeople compete, they are fuelled by adrenaline.
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Feelings can become heightened, sometimes leading to tense situations boiling over.
Most recently, four-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen let his emotions get the best of him on the track, and he purposefully bumped into another driver.
While Verstappen has taken accountability for his actions, the slight contact between drivers could have led to a serious crash.
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There is no justifying this kind of behaviour, but there are certain sports where you might often see fights break out or opponents throwing insults.
From UFC to rugby, it's not too uncommon.
In tennis, players often lose their temper with officials or themselves.
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Most recently, two players competing for a spot at Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, exchanged some harsh words.
Wimbledon is known for being the classiest sports tournament, and this incident left viewers in absolute shock.
Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva competed in a Wimbledon warm-up game at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany, with Sakkari beating Putintseva 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).
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It is customary for players to shake hands at the net at the end of a tennis match, but after Sakkari and Putintseva shook hands, things escalated quickly.
Sakkari confronted her opponent and told her to "treat me like a human being" and look her in the eyes while they shook hands.
Putintseva did not mince her words and told her "to go f*** yourself".
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But the exchange did not end there, with Sakkari being truly riled up by the insult.
You can watch the full video here:
(Warning: this video does contain strong language)
"Go fuck yourself"
— Giovanni Pelazzo (@giovannipelazzo) June 22, 2025
"Nobody likes you"
Finale di partita tranquillo tra Maria Sakkari e Yulia Putintsevapic.twitter.com/7MPIwylAll
In her on-court post match interview, Sakkari addressed the moment while trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don't care. I have very good friends and I'll go to dinner with them. Let me leave it here, and just say that I have respect for her as a player, but that's it.
Putintseva has since responded with a post on her Instagram story:
By the way - not that I care - I shook her hand as most women do. Clearly not according to the 'hugging protocol' some men seem to follow.
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Main image courtesy of @giovannipelazzo/X