The tour’s newest #grasscourtspecialist’s got jokes.
The accountants at the Lawn Tennis Association will have their work cut out for them if Yulia Putintseva gets her way.
After winning her third career WTA singles title, and first on grass, at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham, the ebullient Kazkah was embracing all that comes with the opportunity to give a victory speech—her first in three years.
After recapping her victory, talking tactics, congratulating beaten finalist Ajla Tomljanovic on a notable result of her own, thanking fans, tournament staff, and her team, Putintseva was not yet ready to be played off.
“Can I keep going?” she asked, still wanting to thank her parents, the Kazakh tennis federation, and her coach Matteo Donati.
On-court interviewer Naomi Broady egged her on.
“You’re the winner,” Broady replied, “you can do whatever you want!”
What Putintseva wanted, as it turned out, to turn her winning moment into a group celebration.