Daniil Medvedev has bizarrely described the ranting and complaining which brought the US Open to a standstill for six minutes as ‘a fun moment to live’ and said it made him want to finish his career here in New York one day.
The controversial Russian even said he wished he could have behaved even worse.
The No13 seed was match point down to Benjamin Bonzi in the third set of his first-round match, with the Frenchman about to hit a second serve, when a photographer tried to change position and wandered on to the court. Umpire Gregory Allensworth gave Bonzi a first serve – then all hell broke loose as Medvedev complained. The New York crowd booed him and he egged them on to extend the delay to six minutes.
‘I was not upset with the photographer,’ said Medvedev. ‘I think it was nothing special. Every time there is a sound from the stands between the serves, there is never a second serve. But it helped me get back into the match.
‘It was a fun moment to live. I was not upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision.’
Bonzi – understandably shaken by all this – double faulted and went on to lose the third and fourth sets, before somehow rallying to win the decider.
Daniil Medvedev has claimed he wished he had behaved worse during his US Open first round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi, despite bringing the match to a standstill for six minutes
Medvedev said he had no problem with a photographer who wandered onto court on Bonzi’s match point, which led to the chair umpire granting the Frenchman another first serve
Medvedev said he was unhappy with the umpire’s decision and goaded the crowd into booing with the match delayed by six minutes
It was put to Medvedev that his behaviour was a John McEnroe-style attempt to distract his opponent and change the flow of the match – an accusation he denied.
‘Honestly, not at all,’ he insisted. ‘For sure I was disappointed. He has a match point on his serve. I didn’t break him once in the match. I thought I’m losing the match. I think if the referee doesn’t say anything, he (Bonzi) makes the second serve, probably wins the point, and the match is over.
‘What I say and what I do, in my head I want to do worse, and I cannot because there are rules, because we’re on tennis court.
‘So I just expressed my emotions, my unhappiness with the decision, and then the crowd did what they did without me asking them too much, and it was fun to witness.
‘Honestly, while living it, I was, like, you know what, it could be fun maybe to finish my career with one match at the US Open.’
Bonzi looked shellshocked on court while all this was going on, and afterwards said: ‘Daniil started it, and he put oil on the fire.
‘He went with the crowd…crazy. It was, honestly, I never saw anything like that. Maybe in a football stadium, but not in tennis.
‘It was so noisy, I never thought I would have to wait so long between points. It was a very weird situation and obviously it’s tough to refocus on the game. Even during the points it was very noisy, so it was tough to hear the ball.
Medvedev’s wife Daria was seen with her head in her hands during her husband’s meltdown
Medvedev expects a heavy fine for his behaviour towards Greg Allensworth, after shouting ‘What did Reilly Opelka say’ in reference to the American calling him the ‘worst ump on tour’
Bonzi said Medvedev ‘went crazy with the crowd’ and he had ‘never seen anything like that’
The defeat is a major blow to Medvedev, who has never looked further from the player who won the title in 2021
‘For me it’s my best victory ever.’
Medvedev is expecting a heavy fine for his behaviour towards American umpire Allensworth. ‘Are you a man? Are you a man?’ he said. ‘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?’ That last was a reference to the American player once describing Allensworth as the ‘worst ump on tour’.
Medvedev said afterwards: ‘I’m getting a big enough fine, if I speak I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak. Reilly got fined big-time for this, so I’m going to get a big fine too.’
Ridiculously, Medvedev said he would be singled out for a heavier fine, claiming tennis authorities are harsher on him and other controversial figures such as Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik.
‘They fine guys like me much more than other guys,’ said Medvedev. ‘Kyrgios, me, Bublik. Who else? Reilly. Even if Reilly is a nice guy, and they fine him just because they don’t like him.’
The bottom line is this was another horrendous defeat for Medvedev, who has never looked further from the player who won this title in 2021.
‘I’m playing bad and in important moments, even worse,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘Everything. Everything. Serve, return, volley. I just need to play better, and I’m going to try to do it next year.’
