Yulia Putintseva has apologised for repeatedly treating a ball girl with contempt while being passed balls for a service game at the US Open.
Putintseva was on her way to a straight-sets, third-round defeat against Jasmine Paolini on Saturday when she took out her frustration on the blameless ball girl.
With Putintseva a set and 4-2 down, the girl attempted to throw balls towards her before she took serve.
But the Russia-born player from Kazakhstan made no attempt to catch or pick them up, instead glaring at the girl with her arms down by her side.
She eventually did catch one, prompting jeers from the Flushing Meadow crowd and condemnation on social media, with Boris Becker posting on X: “Who does Putintseva think she is ... terrible behaviour towards the ball girl !!!”
