Belinda Bencic Escaping Default for ‘Reckless’ Act Stuns Tennis World As Novak Djokovic Gets Pulled Into US Open Row

Urvi Mehra Wed, September 2, 2026 at 5:07 AM UTC

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Aug 1, 2025; Montreal, QC, Canada; Belinda Bencic (SUI) reacts after losing a point against Karolina Muchova (CZE) in third round play at IGA Stadium. © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Belinda Bencic and Yulia Putintseva’s hard-fought clash at the 2026 US Open descended into controversy after Bencic inadvertently hit a fan in the stands with a ball. Despite Putintseva’s protests, the Swiss was not defaulted from the match, sparking strong reactions from the tennis community.

Inside Belinda Bencic and Yulia Putintseva’s Tense US Open Battle

No. 12 seed Bencic made a strong start to her opening match at the US Open, winning the first set 6-4 against Putintseva. She also secured an early break in the second set to go up 2-0.

However, Putintseva immediately broke back in the following game, seemingly frustrating Bencic, who hit a ball behind her without looking. The ball went on to strike a spectator in the stands.

Putintseva was quick to protest to the chair umpire, questioning why Bencic had not been defaulted from the tournament for the action. The umpire explained that it was an unintentional hit and that it did not warrant such consequences.

“She hit the ball outside. She hit someone. Was it intentional? No,” the umpire said.

“But she hit someone,” Putintseva responded.

The umpire also clarified that the Swiss star received a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct but was not punished further because the spectator was not injured.

Putintseva, however, pointed to the infamous incident involving Novak Djokovic at the 2020 US Open, when the Serb was defaulted from the tournament after accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball he struck without looking.

“Eventually she hit someone. The person is fine. So she received the code violation for that,” the umpire continued.

“But the person that Djokovic hit was also fine,” Putintseva said.

Bencic hits a ball into the crowd and only gets a warning for Unsportsmanlike Conduct byu/godworstcustomer intennis

As the match progressed, the tennis community weighed in on the incident. Fans questioned how Bencic avoided disqualification, with several backing Putintseva’s sentiments by bringing up Djokovic’s default.

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“How did she not get defaulted for that????” one fan questioned.

“Unless you’re Djokovic, you won’t be disqualified,” another fan wrote.

“Lol you just knew Putintseva was gonna immediately be pushing for the (deserved tbf) DQ,” another fan chimed in.

Fans also emphasized the need for greater consistency in how consequences are applied in such incidents, while one user pointed out how “reckless” the gesture was since Bencic still held the lead in the match.

“Why is it a case of whether the person hit is fine? That’s ridiculous,” one fan commented.

“There just needs to be a lot more consistency from the umpires when players hit stuff into the crowd,” said another.

“There is no need for Bencic to do that. She’s up a set and although she couldn’t consolidate the break, its still on serve. That is very reckless,” a user posted.

Meanwhile, as Bencic struggled with her serve on the court, Putintseva raised her level to win the second set and went on to claim a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory. As a result, Bencic became the highest-seeded player to lose on the women’s side so far.

MORE: ‘Can You Man Up’ – Belinda Bencic Lashes Out at Her Husband and Coaching Team During Tense Toronto Battle

Up next, Yulia Putintseva will lock horns with Zheng Qinwen in the second round of the US Open. She will enter the match with an advantage, holding a 2-0 winning record against Zheng. If Putintseva extends her perfect record against the Chinese star, she will face either Madison Keys or Anna Bondár in the third round.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”