TOPSHOT – Russia’s Daniil Medvedev breaks his racket after losing his men’s singles first round tennis match against France’s Benjamin Bonzi on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 24, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
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Former champion Daniil Medvedev received a total fine of $42,500 by the U.S. Open on Wednesday for his public meltdown during a chaotic opening round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi.
Medvedev, who won his only major title at the U.S. Open in 2021, lost 6-3 7-5 6-7(5) 0-6 6-4 defeat to Frenchman Bonzi on Sunday, but it was the Russian’s third-set antics that made the headlines.
The 13th seed was facing match point and a defeat when a photographer interrupted Bonzi’s serve by mistakenly walking onto the Louis Armstrong Stadium court.
In the wake of the bizarre incident, chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded a new first serve instead of a second to Bonze, sparking Medvedev’s public meltdown.
Raging at the decision, the 29-year-old Medvedev sprinted across the court to remonstrate angrily with Allensworth and whipped up a jeering New York crowd. The match was delayed for more than six minutes before the crowd calmed down for Bonzi to resume.
With Bonzi clearly rattled, the Frenchman was unable to serve out as Medvedev fought back to force the contest into a deciding fifth set, only to lose the chaotic late night thriller in three hours and 45 minutes.
Immediately after his defeat, Medvedev violently smashed a racket in frustration and sat dejectedly on his chair for several minutes before leaving the court.
The U.S. Open fined Medvedev $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $12,500 for obliterating the racket. The fines meant Russian would have to forfeit about 40% of the $11o,000 of the first-round prize money he received.
The 29-year-old Medvedev’s defeat at Flushing Meadows in New York also meant he has won only one match at the Grand Slams all year, with that victory coming at the Australian Open in January.
Following Daniil Medvedev’s antics, his compatriot and childhood friend Andrey Rublev offered him help to deal with his emotions, while six-times Grand Slam champion Boris Becker said Medvedev should seek professional help.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/manasipathak-1/2025/08/28/us-open-2025-daniil-medvedev-fined-42500-for-on-court-meltdown/
