Watch: Putintseva’s Kiss of Death to Crowd
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, January 23, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook
Annoyed by disruptive fans on Kia Arena, Yulia Putintseva vowed to “fight until I die there.”
Putintseva battled by Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 into the Australian Open fourth round, then celebrated with the kiss of death toward vocal Turkish fans and a victory dance.
It’s a milestone moment for Putintseva, who reached the AO fourth round for the first time in 14 appearances at Melbourne Park.
The world No. 94 did not hold back expressing the joy—and taunting Turkish fans she said tormented her throughout the two hour, 34-minute triumph.
Watch Putintseva first cup her hand to her ear in a “let me hear you” gesture, blow kisses to the crowd, point to the fans she felt were disruptive than dance her way to her court-side seat after that hard-fought win.
Yulia Putintseva’s reaction to the crowd after beating Zeynep Sonmez at the Australian Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 23, 2026
The crowd immediately booed her after she put her hand to her ear.
Yulia starts dancing on the court.
It’s all happening. pic.twitter.com/KqmmP4KYVL
Putintseva claimed fans were intentionally screaming and coughing to distract her between first and second serves.
Rather than tuning out the noise, she tuned it up saying all the commotion inspired her to “fight until I die there.”
“Today I think was really a lot of disrespectful moments when they were screaming between my first
and second serve. But screaming, not even,” Putintseva said. “Like really loud, like, just to make me mistake.
“In the game, I think it was 4-3, was a big point, and, like, I opened court very good. I take my forehand, the guy just started, like, coughing just for my shot. I was like, okay, now, I’m not going to lose. Like, really. I was ready to take it all, but I was ready to fight like until I die there.
And, I mean, what can I do? It’s just some people have education of tennis and, unfortunately, some of them not.”
The 5’4″ Kazakh has shown major staying power.
This AO is Putintseva’s 44th straight Grand Slam appearance, equaling Katerina Siniakova for longest major main-draw streak among active women.
The 31-year-old Putintseva has now reached at least the fourth round at all four majors, with her best Slam results coming with quarterfinal appearances at the 2020 US Open and 2016 and 2018 Roland Garros. Putintseva said the biggest growth in her game has been between the ears, noting if she had this type of crowd clash last year she would have probably “thrown something at them.”
“I don’t think they were, like, disrespectful. They were disrespectful in the moment when like it was, like, important, and they could see it’s important,” Putintseva said. “They start screaming, like, every time during my shots. Like when she was making a great shot, but I was still in the round, they were like, Yes.
“When it was let and the ball was coming to my side, they were also, like, screaming to my shot, which was, like, honestly it’s distracted to everyone, especially in this heat, in the condition. But I’m very happy that I kept my calm, because Yulia last year would probably throw something at them at
some moment.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time a player has clashed with Melbourne fans.
Last January, American Danielle Collins famously cupped her hand to her urging booing Aussie fans to make more noise after she knocked Australian Destanee Aiava out of the AO third round on Kia Arena. Collins gave it right back to hostile fans with both gesture and post-match remarks.
“It’s a pretty amazing feeling as an athlete, because the people who dislike you or hate you pay your bills, so that’s a really rewarding feeling,” Collins said. “Thanks for the paycheck, Australia.”
In her AO opener, Putintseva reeled off the final five games defeating big-hitting Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Putintseva, who looked visibly annoyed by loud Brazilian fans and later a technical issue that sent some screeching feedback from the chair umpire’s microphone, let her opponent and fans know how she felt in victory with a big bow and this dance:
Yulia Putintseva’s reaction to the crowd after beating Bia Haddad Maia at the Australian Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 18, 2026
Wait for it…
💀💀💀💀💀
pic.twitter.com/hTxeC6Mqeq
Putintseva will have to bring her best tennis against red-hot 18-year-old American Iva Jovic with a quarterfinal spot on the line.
The 27th-ranked Jovic scored her first career Top 10 win toppling seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 7-6(3) on the strength of six service breaks.
Afterward Jovic credited her secret weapon, advice from 10-time AO champion Novak Djokovic, as a key to her upset win.
“Yeah, actually I spoke to Novak yesterday a little bit. So it was pretty incredible,” Jovic said. “He gave me some very attentive tips for my game and something I can try to incorporate into this match that I just played.
“So that was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it.”
Though she’s contesting only her sixth major main draw, Jovic is well aware of Putintseva’s skill stirring up a crowd and said her game-plan is simple: focus on the ball and take care of business.
“I mean, hopefully I can keep it simple and not let the crowd and all that stuff get too much into
the effect,” Jovic said. “Hopefully I can just play the better tennis out there.
“But first time, first meeting. So I have seen her play a bit. I’ll definitely look at some more video now that I know I’ll be playing her. I mean, she’s been around for a while. She has a lot of experience and she’s definitely in this stage of the tournament for a reason.
“It will be tricky, but I think if I just keep taking care of business, as I said earlier, it will be a good match.”
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