Daniil Medvedev Fined $42,500 at US Open After Court Meltdown
Daniil Medvedev was hit with a $42,500 fine at the US Open on Wednesday—over a third of his $110,000 prize money from this year’s singles event—following a fiery meltdown after a photographer wandered onto the court at match point.
Tournament referee Jake Garner levied $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and an additional $12,500 for racket abuse. The incident erupted at the end of Medvedev’s first-round loss when he repeatedly slammed a racket against his chair, destroying his equipment in frustration.
What Sparked the Meltdown
The former US Open champion (2021) was incensed when chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Medvedev’s opponent, Benjamin Bonzi, an additional first serve following the photographer’s intrusion.
Bonzi was on match point, leading 5-4 in the third set, when the photographer—whose credentials were later revoked—walked along the side of the court just after a fault.
Allensworth quickly instructed the photographer to leave, then ruled that Bonzi would get another serve due to the delay. Medvedev confronted the umpire, and tensions escalated as the crowd began booing and chanting, “Second serve!”
“Are you a man? Why are you shaking? He wants to go home, guys, he doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” Medvedev shouted, further riling the fans.
Play was halted for over six minutes as Medvedev continued to insult the umpire and hype up the crowd.
Match Outcome
Despite taking the third and fourth sets, Medvedev ultimately fell to Bonzi in a five-set thriller: 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4.
This marks Medvedev’s third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam, including last month’s Wimbledon loss, also to Bonzi.
Description:
"Daniil Medvedev loses his cool at the US Open, smashing his racket and insulting the umpire after a photographer interrupted match point. He’s fined $42,500, marking his third straight first-round Grand Slam exit and sparking outrage among fans."