It’s been a fiery week on the tennis courts, and Greek star Maria Sakkari is once again right in the middle of the storm.
This time, the drama unfolded in Germany at the Bad Homburg Open—right after she defeated Yulia Putintseva, a player not exactly known for keeping her cool either.
What began as a routine post-match handshake turned into a full-on verbal brawl at the net, reminding fans that in tennis, tensions can run just as high off the ball as on it.
The Match That Sparked It All
Sakkari had just come out on top in a tight match, winning 7-5, 7-6 against the Russian-born Kazakh player.
But what should have been a standard end to a hard-fought contest quickly took a turn.
After a brief, almost disinterested handshake, things escalated fast.
Onlookers were stunned as the two players exchanged heated words.
Sakkari, clearly irritated, told Putintseva to “act like a human being,” while Putintseva clapped back, claiming she already had—and then seemingly told Sakkari to “go f***” herself and to back off.
“Nobody Likes You!”
The tension didn’t stop there. As the war of words continued, Sakkari could be heard responding in disbelief: “F****** hell, I’m what?” before firing back with: “Nobody likes you!”
It wasn’t exactly a shining example of sportsmanship, but it wasn’t entirely out of character either—at least not for these two fiery competitors.
This Isn’t Sakkari’s First On-Court Dust-Up
Sakkari has had her fair share of confrontations in the past.
Back in 2023, during a match in Montreal against American Danielle Collins, things got testy when Sakkari smacked a ball that ended up in the crowd.
Though she quickly raised her hand in apology, Collins wasn’t having it.
“Did you just see that?” Collins asked the chair umpire. “She hit the ball into the stands!”
Sakkari defended herself, saying no one had been hit and it was just a misfired shot.
But Collins wasn’t letting it slide and told her to “shut your mouth,” prompting a sharp reply from Sakkari: “What’s your problem?”
The umpire eventually restored order, and Collins went on to win the match.
But the moment left an impression—and added another chapter to Sakkari’s list of on-court confrontations.
Clash with Raducanu Didn’t Go Her Way
Sakkari also made headlines during Wimbledon last year when she squared off with British star Emma Raducanu.
Ahead of their third-round match, Sakkari warned that Raducanu was now facing a top-10 opponent and shouldn’t expect things to go easily.
“She’s very talented,” Sakkari said. “But let’s not forget I’m a top-10 player too.”
Unfortunately for Sakkari, the match didn’t go in her favor.
Raducanu breezed past her in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, needing just 92 minutes.
Despite saving seven break points, Sakkari struggled with 31 unforced errors—handing Raducanu a commanding win.
From Courtside to Inauguration Night
And in a slightly more surprising spotlight moment, Sakkari was seen earlier this year at Donald Trump’s inauguration gala.
The reason? Her long-term boyfriend, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, is the son of Greece’s Prime Minister.
The younger Mitsotakis had been invited to the event by Florida Congressman Gus Bilirakis.
With deep political roots—his father, grandfather, and even great-great-great uncle all served as Greek prime ministers—his presence wasn’t exactly shocking.
Still, Sakkari’s appearance at the gala definitely raised eyebrows.
The couple has been dating since around 2020, and their high-profile connection has brought Sakkari attention far beyond the tennis world.