Story byYulia Putintseva taunted the crowd at the Australian Open (REUTERS)Eleanor CrooksFri, January 23, 2026 at 8:50 AM UTC·2 min readYulia Putintseva criticised Australian Open fans for "disrespectful" behaviour after her third-round victory over Zeynep Sonmez. Sonmez, a crowd favourite after assisting a fainting ball girl, had strong support from Melbourne’s large Turkish community, creating a partisan atmosphere. Despite this, Putintseva claimed a 6-3 6-7 (3) 6-3 win, reaching the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time at 31. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter the final point, Putintseva danced in celebration and gestured towards the stands, prompting boos throughout her post-match interview. Putintseva commented on the crowd’s conduct: "There is always someone in favour and someone to cheer for, that’s what’s great about the sport. But today I think was really a lot of disrespectful moments when they were screaming between my first and second serve.