Spending a lot of time on flights, tennis players, like all other passengers, count on the assistance of the flight crew to make their journey as smooth as possible, something that Anastasia Potapova did not experience recently. The Austrian had a not-so-great experience on her flight to New York, prompting the World No. 25 to call out the flight crew’s problematic behavior.

“@united @unitedairlines.ip I have never done anything like this before, but right now I can’t simply stay silent,” said Potapova on her Instagram story. “As a professional athlete, I travel extensively all over the world, but this is the first time I have ever experienced this level of disrespect, rudeness, and to some extent, discrimination.”

“Today, on my flight from Houston to New York, flight UA 678, I encountered a flight attendant who repeatedly seemed to go out of her way to cause problems for me for no apparent reason. She was extremely rude both to me personally and in the way she treated my dog…Her name is Mary. I truly hope your airline will look into the situation and take it seriously.”

Potapova was not letting matters slide, as she also shared a picture of the flight attendant in question and asked the airline to take swift action. She was not alone in complaining about the on-board staff’s behavior, as her online story soon received support from other users who shared similar uncomfortable experiences involving the same staff member, which strengthens Potapova’s complaint. The Austrian stated that she was in communication with the airline company and expected a timely resolution to the matter.

Even superstars from other sports have not been spared from the issue. American sprinter ShaCarri Richardson also had an argument on her American Airlines flight back in 2023 with the attendant about keeping her phone off before takeoff, which escalated and led to the Olympic medallist being ejected from the flight.

Calling out problematic behavior on social media has been a common practice among tennis players, as it can attract greater public attention and prompt companies to take swift action. Jelena Ostapenko recently shared a problematic experience with a cab driver, whose behavior was rude and aggressive towards the Latvian. She recounted it on Instagram, addressing the company directly to take action.

One can only hope that United Airlines will look into the complaints made by Potapova and that the situation will be resolved in a timely fashion, as the Austrian will need all her focus going into Flushing Meadows next week.

Anastasia Potapova Will Look to Have a Great Run at the US Open

Potapova started the season slowly on the hard courts, but played a very competitive match against Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open. After middling results at the Sunshine Double, the Austrian hit top form during the clay court season, reaching the final of the Linz Open, where she lost to Mirra Andreeva.

Potapova used her momentum to reach the semifinals of the Madrid Open, her first semifinal appearance at the WTA 1000 level, and then reached the fourth round at the Italian Open as a qualifier. At the French Open, she beat the defending champion, Coco Gauff, in the third round. However, she lost in the next round to Anna Kalinskaya, despite having opportunities to close out the match.

The Austrian’s performances on grass dipped, leading to her being knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon. Her recent hard-court outings have not been exemplary, as she won one match each in Washington and Montreal and had an opening-round loss to Sloane Stephens at the Cincinnati Open. However, she has the 24th seeding in the draw in New York, which will play into her hands in trying to have a decent run in the last Major of the year.