The Australian Open has a new pantomime villain, as Putintseva dance inspires boos

Yulia Putintseva has criticised fans of her Turkish opponent at the Australian Open, calling them “disrespectful” after blowing kisses and dancing amid loud boos following her round-three victory.

The Russian-born player who represents Kazakhstan defeated Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez in three sets on Friday, much to the dismay of the largely pro-Sonmez crowd at Kia Arena.

Putintseva played the role of pantomime villain, holding a hand to her ear, and busted a dance move known as “crumping” before the crowd. This prompted loud boos and jeers from spectators, a noise that drowned out much of her on-court interview.

The scenes were reminiscent of last year’s performance from American Danielle Collins, who relished mocking the fans who heckled her at last year’s Australian Open, blowing kisses and saying the money they spent on tickets would pay for her five-star holiday in the Bahamas.

Collins is not playing in this Australian Open, explaining on social media that she is nursing a back injury and has recently had egg-freezing procedures.

Putinseva, who joined world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and American contender Coco Gauff in the fourth round, told reporters after Friday’s match that the crowd were being intentionally distracting while she was playing — including coughing when she was about to play a shot.

“I think [there] was really a lot of disrespectful moments when they were screaming between my first and second serve … just to make me [make a] mistake,” she said after the match.

“Some people have education of tennis, and unfortunately, some of them [do] not.”

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Putintseva specifically thanked her small cohort of fans, running over to throw them her towel after the game.

“I was grateful for them … they were a small group, but they were very, very supportive,” she said.

It was the end of a fairytale run for 23-year-old qualifier Sonmez, who was aiming to become the first Turkish player to progress past the third round at a major.

At Wimbledon in 2025, Sonmez became the first Turkish player to reach the third round of a grand slam — a feat she equalled at Melbourne Park this tournament.

Sonmez attracted an impressive following, with too many Turkish flags to count at her match. Before the first game had even started, the cheer squad had already broken into chants encouraging their young sensation.

Fans cheered whenever she hit a good forehand, and gasped when her shots went into the net. Sonmez was becoming visibly frustrated towards the end of the match, often gesturing towards her coaching box.

It was an electric atmosphere inside the practically full Kia Arena. But the vibe also came with its fair share of warnings from the umpire.

Putintseva made multiple complaints about noise during the match, frequently glancing at the chair umpire and gesturing towards the crowd.

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