NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
An Australian Open match quickly became personal for Yulia Putintseva.
The Kazakh faced Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye, who apparently had her fans on her side.
Much of the crowd was waving Turkish flags for the match, but fans went home disappointed after Putintseva earned a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Yulia Putintseva reacts after winning her match against Zeynep Sonmez and advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on January 23, 2026. (Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Faced with boos from the crowd after the victory, Putintseva put her hand to her ear to mock the fans, prompting loud boos.
After shaking Sonmez’s hand, he danced provocatively near his bench.
“Honestly, it was a really crazy atmosphere here. Look at them (the Turkish fans). They are very passionate about what they do. It’s cool to see it, especially against me, because I love this kind of battle.”
While her comments about the fans were in good humor, she fired shots at the fans off the court after claiming they had been disrespectful.
Yulia Putintseva points to the fans after winning her match against Zeynep Sonmez and advancing to the fourth round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on January 23, 2026. (Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images)
FORMER AMERICAN TENNIS STARS WAKE UP THE REPORTER BY QUESTIONING AMANDA ANISIMOVA
“What can I do? It’s just that some people are educated in tennis and, unfortunately, some people aren’t,” he told reporters via the New York Post. “But I’m really glad I stayed calm, because last year Yulia would probably throw something at them.”
Putintseva’s best world ranking is 20th place, which she achieved last year. This is the furthest he has advanced at the Australian Open. He also reached the quarterfinals of both the French Open and the US Open. She has three WTA titles to her name.
Yulia Putintseva reacts to the crowd after winning her match against Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on January 23, 2026. (Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Putintseva will face American Iva Jovic on Saturday.
