Daniil Medvedev’s wife appeared in despair as the former US Open champion embarked on his biggest meltdown to date during his first round defeat in New York.
Footage from the stands showed Daria Medvedeva, who has two children with the tennis star, with her head in her hands as she sat alongside his stony-faced coach Gilles Cervara.
The pair have witnessed numerous explosions from Medvedev over the years, but Daria, 29, seemed exasperated by the latest installment on the Louis Armstrong court.
Medvedev, 2021 champion is currently in arguably the biggest slump of his career having entered the tournament off the back of two first round exits and a second round defeat at this year’s Grand Slam events.
Staring down match point in the first set against Bonzi – who had also dispatched him at Wimbledon – a subdued Medvedev suddenly exploded and led what one fan described as a ‘civil war’.
In bizarre scenes, a photographer had left his position and entered the court as Bonzi prepared for a second serve on match point.
Daniil Medvedev boiled over as the Russian suffered a first round defeat at the US Open
Medvedev’s wife appeared in despair during the latest meltdown of her husband’s career
Daria Medvedeva, 29, has two children with the Russian tennis star and has been a regular presence in his player box during his colourful career to date
Umpire Greg Allensworth ruled Bonzi be awarded a first serve following the interruption, leading to an enraged Medvedev taking aim at the American official.
‘Are you a man? Are you a man?’ the current world No 13 asked Allensworth. ‘Why are you shaking? What’s wrong, huh? Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match not by the hour.’
‘What did Reilly Opelka say?,’ Medvedev then repeatedly shouted to the crowd as he continued to rile them up. Opelka – a fellow tennis player – had earlier this year been fined by the ATP Tour for branding Allensworth the ‘worst ump on tour’.
Medvedev continued to whip up the crowd, who booed and chanted ‘second serve’, with the incident causing a six-minute delay to proceedings. Medvedev, for his part, says he ‘didn’t do anything wrong’.
After Medvedev eventually motioned for the crowd to calm down for Bonzi to serve, the Frenchman ultimately failed to take the match point, with Medvedev breaking to keep his hopes alive.
Medvedev, who has faced criticism for his antics in trying to disrupt his opponents in the past, seized the initiative from a seemingly rattled Bonzi to win the third set on a tie-break and then race through the fourth set 6-0 to force a decider.
The Russian would ultimately fall short in his attempts to stage a remarkable and controversial comeback, as Bonzi clinched a dramatic five-set victory by winning the fifth set 6-4.
The result saw Medvedev sit disconsolately on his chair before destroying a racket by smashing it multiple times, as Bonzi prepared for his on-court interview.
A photographer left his position and walked on to the court too early causing a disruption
The shocking moment the bumbling photographer walks onto the court at match point
As a result of the interruption, umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Benjamin Bonzi a first serve
Medvedev saw red at the chair umpire’s decision, launching into a heated tirade and whipped up the crowd
The Russian riled up the crowd and encouraged them to boo by shouting into the microphones
Medvedev’s wife, who married the star in 2018, was seen leaving the stands while her husband smashed the racket in a final show of anger, before the former champion departed the court.
The 13th seed, however, appeared unrepentant about his actions post-match – which included a obscene gesture – as well as delaying the match. He also denied suggestions that he has been attempting to push the boundaries in recent years to see when he gets defaulted from a match.
‘They [ the crowd] did the work, I didn’t do anything. And they pushed me to come back into the match, it was fun for me,’ Medvedev said at a press conference.
‘Today I didn’t do anything bad, no,’ he added, before the six-minute delay and his gestures to the crowd were highlighted.
‘Heart emojis? I love them. Love in New York. They did the work, I didn’t do anything. And they pushed me to come back into the match, it was fun for me,’ Medvedev continued.
When asked about his public criticism of the umpire, he added: ‘I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak I’m in big trouble so I’m not gonna speak.
‘Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I said Reilly. Reilly got fined big time for this so I’m gonna get a big fine too.’
Medvedev’s antics sparked a debate over whether his meltdown exceeded a 2019 episode on the same court, which saw him taunt American fans by ripping a towel away from a ballboy, throwing his racket towards the the umpire and flipping off the crowd.
The former champion ultimately suffered defeat to continue a major slump in his career
The Russian was caught repeatedly smashing his racket on his bench after his defeat
Medvedev appeared unrepentant post match about his antics, which included an obsence gesture
Medvedev claimed the crowd had caused the delay in the match, despite whipping them up and displaying a heart as they took his side in his row with the umpire
Footage from the third round match against Feliciano Lopez showed Medvedev melting down after the crowd turned on him due to his on-court behaviour.
Medvedev had ripped away a towel from a ballboy and screamed in his direction, prompting the chair umpire to give him a penalty.
He was then seeing throwing his racket in the direction of the umpire, before flipping off the booing crowd as he walked back to his chair.
Speaking on court after the match, the Russian athlete continued to stoke the flames, responding to every question by winding up the hostile crowd.
‘Thank you all you guys, because your energy tonight gave me the win,’ he said as he closed his eyes and raised his arms to the crowd at Flushing Meadows.
‘If you weren’t here I probably would’ve lost, I was so tired, I was cramping yesterday, it was so tough to play. But I want all of you to know when you sleep tonight, I won – because of you.’
In response to the second question, he added: ‘The only thing I can say is the energy you’re giving me right now guys, it will be enough for the next five matches,’ he taunted.
‘The more you do this, the more I’ll win for you guys.’
The meltdown evoked memories of Medvedev’s previous outburst on the same court in 2019, which saw him flipping off and taunt the US Open crowd on his run to the final
Medvedev ripped a towel away from a ballboy during his third round match in 2019, prompting the crowd to turn against him
Medvedev’s decision to take on the New York crowd saw the Russian burst into the public consciousness, who then watched as soaked up boos from the crowd after his next match.
He would ultimately win the crowd over by reaching the US Open final that year, delivering an on-court speech thanking the fans after losing in five sets to Rafael Nadal.
Medvedev claimed last year that the on-court interview after his third round win in 2019 had been ‘probably my best-ever’, but acknowledged his behaviour on court can sometimes cross the line.
‘When I’m on the court, I always make headlines,’ Medvedev said. ‘Sometimes bad, sometimes good, sometimes funny, sometimes less funny.
‘I’m someone, I don’t really like headlines, but when I’m on the court, my mind is boiling, constantly boiling. Sometimes it’s frustration. Sometimes with good emotions. It’s like tea. It just comes out even if I don’t want it. It just boils. I think it’s good.
‘You know, I will finish my career. I will have some good legacy in terms of titles and good memories on court and for sure some iconic moments like on the microphone.’
One of those titles came at the US Open in 2021 as he prevented Novak Djokovic from claiming the calendar Grand Slam, but the Russian has suffered heartbreaking defeats in his other three Grand Slam final appearances.
Medvedev has claimed he has tried to stop having on-court tantrums, which he acknowledges can disrupt his own game, but the Russian has been involved in numerous high-profile incidents over the years.
Medvedev taunts the crowd after beating Feliciano Lopez in 2019
He threw his racket and repeatedly argued with the umpire during the controversial clash
He escaped a potential disqualification in the Wimbledon semi-finals last year as he was given a warning for verbal abuse towards the chair umpire. He was also involved in two separate clashes with umpires at the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2024, which included tossing his racket in anger over a line call.
After a 2023 defeat at the Paris Masters, Medvedev appeared to raise his middle finger to the crowd while walking off court. When asked about the incident, he sarcastically said ‘‘I just checked my nails, like this, it’s nothing more than that. Why would I do that to this beautiful crowd?’
His biggest meltdowns, typically, have occurred at Grand Slam tournament when the stakes are at their highest.
In the 2022 Australian Open semi-finals, Medvedev labelled the chair umpire a ‘small cat’ during a rant when he accused Stefanos Tsitsipas’s father of illegally coaching from the stands.
He yelled at the umpire: ‘His father can talk every point? Are you stupid? His father can talk every point?’ Then raising his voice, Medvedev shouted: ‘His father can talk every point? Answer my question, will you answer my question?
‘Can you answer my question please? Can his father talk every point?
‘Oh my God, oh my God, you are so bad, man. How can you be so bad in the semi-final of a Grand Slam? Look at me, I am taking to you.’
Medvedev escaped being defaulted out of Wimbledon last year after an apparent foul-mouthed rant
Medvedev threw his racket at the Monte Carlo Masters last year in another famous outburst
Medvedev ranted to ranted at tennis official Cedric Mourier about the standard of the umpiring
At this point, Campistol turned around to acknowledge the ranting Medvedev and asked ‘what do you want?’
Medvedev replied: ‘To give him a caution because his father is talking to him.’
The row continued after Medvedev walked off court for a comfort break at the end of the second set as he described the umpire as ‘a small cat’.
He said: ‘If you don’t [issue a code violation], you are… how can I call it… a small cat.’
Medvedev would ultimately reach the final of the tournament, but suffered defeat to Rafael Nadal, which prompted an emotional outpouring when he insisted the treatment he received by Australian fans had ruined his childhood dreams.
‘I’m just talking about few moments where the kid stopped dreaming, and today was one of them. I’m not going to really tell why,’ he said.
‘I’m going to say it like this. If there is a tournament on hard courts in Moscow, before Roland Garros or Wimbledon, I’m going to go there even if I miss the Wimbledon or Roland Garros or whatever.
‘The kid stopped dreaming. The kid is going to play for himself. That’s it. That’s my story.’
Medvedev appeared to give a middle finger to the stands when leaving the court at the Paris Masters in 2023
Medvedev ranted at chair umpire Jaume Campistol during his Australian Open semi-final in 2022, calling him ‘a small cat’ after accusing Stefanos Tsitsipas’s father of coaching him
The Russian launched into the tirade between points during the contest on Rod Laver Arena
Medvedev shouted at umpire Campistol until he turned around and acknowledged him
Medvedev’s latest defeat and meltdown will leave the Russian with major decisions to make after a miserable 2025 season
Medvedev then doubled down on the extraordinary stance, complaining again about the behaviour of the crowd and said it would be ‘tough’ to continue playing tennis in the future.
‘I’m just going to give one small example. Before Rafa serves even in the fifth set, there would be somebody, and I would even be surprised, like one guy screaming, ‘C’mon, Daniil’,’ he said.
‘A thousand people would be like, ‘Tsss, tsss, tsss’. That sound. Before my serve, I didn’t hear it. It’s disappointing. It’s disrespectful, it’s disappointing. I’m not sure after 30 years I’m going to want to play tennis.
‘Again, the kid that was dreaming is not anymore in me after today. It will be tougher to continue tennis when it’s like this.’
The consequences of Medvedev’s latest outburst will likely become known in the coming days, with the Russian no stranger to facing disciplinary action from the governing bodies.
His meltdown and subsequent loss to Bonzi will also leave the 2021 champion with major decisions to make as he seeks to rebuild following a dismal 2025 season.
