Tennis thrives on drama as much as brilliance. While the sport celebrates athletes who embody respect and inspire the next generation, it also grapples with figures whose conduct sparks frustration and divides fans. As awards season unfolds on tour, that contrast sharpens. This time, the spotlight turns uncomfortably toward Yulia Putintseva, whose actions have pushed her into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The Nothing Major crew recently discussed which players belong on the “naughty or nice list” for 2025. During the conversation, Steve Johnson placed Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva firmly on the naughty list. He pointed to her repeated involvement in on-court controversies as the main reason for his stance.

“It’s Yulia Putintseva, she always seems to be in controversy,” said Johnson.

He then focused on her treatment of ball kids during matches, which he strongly criticized. Johnson made it clear that respect toward everyone on the court is non-negotiable.

“She got the staring at the ball kid; you don’t do anything to the ball people,” Johnson added. “Ball kids, ball adults, you’ve got to treat them fully with respect, you can’t dog those people while you’re out on the court. I don’t like that.” His comments reflected the frustration shared by many fans.

The incident he referred to occurred during Putintseva’s third-round defeat at last year’s US Open. In her 6-3, 6-4 loss to Jasmine Paolini, Putintseva stood still and appeared to ignore a ball girl who was trying to hand her balls during the match.

Afterward, Putintseva issued a public apology on social media.

“I want to apologize to the ball girl for the way I was, when she was giving me balls. Honestly speaking, it was not about her. I was really p—-d at myself by not winning the game from the breakpoint and then got empty with my emotions and deep in my thoughts, that I was not even focusing on what’s going on and who gives me the ball… All the ball kids were doing amazing as always at the open.”

Despite the apology, backlash followed quickly. Boris Becker criticized her behavior on X.

“Who does [Yulia] Putintseva think she is? Terrible behaviour towards the ball girl!” 

For many observers, this was not an isolated case, as Putintseva has faced several similar incidents throughout her career.

Jack Sock calls out Yulia Putintseva’s controversial ‘shoelace’ stunt

This year, world number one Carlos Alcaraz won the ‘Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award’ for the second time in his career. Last year, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur also received praise after winning her third straight ‘Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award’. These honors highlighted players known for respect and fair play on tour.

However, during the same episode of the Nothing Major Podcast, the focus shifted to the opposite end of the spectrum. While Steve Johnson revisited Yulia Putintseva’s US Open incident, Jack Sock highlighted another controversial habit. This time, the discussion centered on her time-wasting tactics during matches.

“Have you seen her shoelace stunt, by the way?” Sock asked Johnson. He explained that the pattern appears whenever matches turn against her. 

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“When she’s losing, she always packs shoelaces, puts them in her bag,” Sock said. “Whenever it’s a pivotal time in the match, she’ll slide to the ball and immediately say she ripped the shoelace on her thing.” He added that the delay disrupts opponents and momentum.

“It’s a tactic, takes minutes on minutes, changes the shoelace, and the other girl is always freaked out,” Sock continued. “It’s a full thing, naughty.” His remarks reinforced the growing criticism surrounding Putintseva’s on-court behavior.

Beyond controversy, her 2025 results also raised concerns. Putintseva won only five Grand Slam matches all year. She lost in the third round of the Australian Open and the French Open, in the first round at Wimbledon, and in the second round at the US Open. Those results dropped her ranking to 71. 

Next season, though, she is expected to return before the Australian Open on Sunday, January 18. Only time will tell if she rebounds and avoids further controversy in 2026.