Austrian tennis player Anastasia Potapova has reported being mistreated by a flight attendant on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York ahead of the US Open.
The world number 25 detailed the incident on Instagram, writing that a crew member repeatedly made her journey difficult, acted rudely toward her and her dog, and threatened to remove her from the aircraft.
Potapova stated that she had never shared such an experience publicly before but felt unable to remain silent. She wrote that as a professional athlete who travels around the world, it was the first time she had experienced such a lack of respect, rudeness, and discrimination. She added that flight attendants should assist passengers rather than create problems, noting that no passenger or animal deserves humiliating treatment from flight staff.
In subsequent posts on the platform, Potapova published a photograph of the flight attendant. She stated that the flight attendant had mentioned her status several times during the conflict and confirmed that she is already in contact with United Airlines regarding the matter.
Controversial switch of national representation
Potapova recently began competing under the flag of Austria, becoming the top-ranked female player in her new homeland. She previously represented Russia, where she was one of several competing players.
According to Dominik Senkowski, a journalist for Sport.pl, Potapova had been regarded as a supporter of Vladimir Putin's regime. In March 2023, the Women's Tennis Association issued a warning to Potapova after she stepped onto the court in Miami wearing a Spartak Moscow football shirt, an action interpreted as a provocation. Senkowski noted that last autumn, Potapova and her Dutch boyfriend also took part in an exhibition tournament in Saint Petersburg sponsored by state-owned energy giant Gazprom, which has been placed under extensive sanctions.
The change of allegiance provided Potapova with reduced domestic competition while easing global travel demands across a continuous tournament schedule.
Previous performances at the US Open
Potapova is traveling to New York for the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season. Her best career performance at the event occurred two years ago when she reached the third round.
During that tournament run, she defeated 23rd seed Leylah Fernandez in the first round and eliminated qualifier Varvara Lepchenko in the second round, before being eliminated by Karolina Muchova.
