Russian-born tennis player Anastasia Potapova has publicly criticized a United Airlines flight attendant, saying she was left “humiliated” during a trip to the US Open.
Potapova, the world No. 28, used social media to detail the treatment she claims she received while flying from Houston to New York with her dog.
The 25-year-old, who changed her sporting nationality to Austrian before the new season, was traveling to Flushing Meadows ahead of the women’s singles draw.
Although she recently pulled out of the Monterrey Open because of a back injury, Potapova is set to compete at the US Open as the No. 24 seed.
“I have never done anything like this before, but right now I simply cannot stay silent,” Potapova wrote in a post on her Instagram Story.
“As a professional athlete, I travel extensively all over the world, but this is the first time I have ever experienced this level of disrespect, rudeness, and, to some extent, discrimination.”
Russian-born tennis star Anastasia Potapova criticized a United Airlines flight attendant after the incident
Potapova claimed she was treated in a “humiliating and disrespectful” manner during the flight
Potapova was traveling to New York for the US Open with her dog on a flight from Houston
‘To me, flight attendants are supposed to be there to help passengers, not create problems for them.
‘Today, on my flight from Houston to New York, flight UA678, I encountered a flight attendant who repeatedly seemed to go out of her way to cause problems for me for no apparent reason.
‘She was extremely rude both to me personally and in the way she treated my dog. She also repeatedly brought up my status and threatened to remove me from the flight because of it.
‘Her name is Mary. I truly hope that your airline will look into this situation and take it seriously, because no passenger — and no animal — deserves to be treated in such a humiliating and disrespectful way, especially by a member of the cabin crew.’
Potapova also shared a photo of the flight attendant she was complaining about, then shared a reply from a follower claiming she ‘had the same problem with that same woman’ and alleging the message was ‘one of many’.
The tennis star, who knocked American Coco Gauff out of the French Open earlier this year, revealed she was ‘in conversation’ with United Airlines and added: ‘I really appreciate quick reaction to OUR problem.’
Potapova reached the second round of the US Open singles draw last year, losing to Mirra Andreeva. She reached a career-best third round in New York in 2024.
It has been a strong year so far, reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros after beating Gauff and becoming the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal before losing to Marta Kostyuk at the Madrid Open.
She says she is now in contact with United Airlines to discuss the flight in question
Potapova is the No.24 seed in the women’s singles draw at the US Open next week
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She was previously married to fellow tennis star Alexander Shevchenko, but they divorced after the 2024 US Open.
Opening up on their split in an interview with Bolshe in 2025, she said: ‘I made some shockingly big decisions at the end of the year. But like I mentioned, that’s life.
Unfortunately, things like that happen and you have to accept it. Of course, I’m very disappointed it all went the way it did.’
‘I really wish Sasha – I can say it on camera, I’m not ashamed of these words – I really wish him all the best, and he deserves all the best. I wish him all the best with his career, as well, because he’s very talented and he has to keep working and developing as a player. But I guess we had problems; some couples get over these problems, and some don’t. Unfortunately, we were one of the couples that didn’t.’
‘My team, my close ones, even me, we were all shocked by how mentally strong I could be.
‘Every other person came to me and asked, ‘So what, you two broke up?’ On tour, outside the tour. Of course, it’s not really polite, but it’s life and people are curious. It’s like a TV show for them.
‘I think I needed to put an end to it, to end things officially, so I wouldn’t get those questions anymore. I think that was the last step I needed to finally set myself free.’
