Concerns evident over fan behavior at Wimbledon, with player Yulia Putintseva expressing anxieties about her safety due to an individual she deems as unstable and potentially harmful: "Could he be armed with a knife?"
In an unexpected turn of events at this year's Wimbledon, Yulia Putintseva, the world No. 33 tennis player, expressed serious safety concerns during her first-round match. The incident occurred during her match against American Amanda Anisimova on court 15.
Trailing 0-3 in the first set, Putintseva asked the umpire to remove a spectator she considered dangerous and crazy. She indicated the spectator was wearing green and worried the individual might be armed, saying, "Maybe he has a knife and he will attack after, I don’t know" [1].
The umpire then contacted security and spoke with staff courtside. Despite this incident, Wimbledon organizers later stated they were satisfied with the security measures in place following her complaint [2].
Putintseva, a native of Moscow who has represented Kazakhstan since 2012, did not speak to the media after the match, which she lost 6-0, 6-0 to Anisimova. She appeared visibly emotional during the contest [1].
Meanwhile, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, Emma Raducanu, had a successful start to her Wimbledon campaign. She defeated Mingge Xu in the first round, 6-3, 6-3, and will face Markéta Vondroušová in the second round on Wednesday.
Raducanu's journey at Wimbledon comes after a challenging experience in Dubai earlier this year. Nearly five months ago, she was distressed at a match due to a spectator's fixated behaviour [3].
Anisimova, who advanced to the second round, will take on Renata Zarazúa in her next match at Wimbledon. The tournament is scheduled to run through Sunday, July 13 [4].
[1] BBC Sport, "Wimbledon: Yulia Putintseva asks for spectator to be removed during match," 1 July 2022,
Trailing in her Wimbledon match against Anisimova, Putintseva claimed a spectator could pose a threat, asking for his removal due to his erratic behavior and suggestion he might be armed. Despite her concerns, Wimbledon organizers affirmed their confidence in the security measures in place.
