US Open 2025: Meltdown And Fine Loom As Daniil Medvedev Blames Umpire, Not Fans

The US Open 2025 is the third straight Grand Slam in which Daniil Medvedev has lost in the first round, the round loss against Benjamin Bonzi is his latest DNF this year and it is his first round defeat at the US Open since he was debuted in 2017. 

What was the changing moment of the match?

The turning point came near the end of the third set when as Bonzi was receiving a match point, a photographer got on the court in the middle of the point. The act of rewarding Bonzi a first serve when he should have stayed on a second one buttoned up Medvedev, and the umpire heard him swear profanities.

Medvedev on the other hand claimed the umpire was not consistent in his decisions citing that, when there is a noise in the stands during changes of serves, there is never a second serve but the same rule applies to him. The six minute stoppage that followed saw Medvedev berate the official as well as the broadcast camera as he hugged the spectators as he expressed that all of this was fun to him. They worked and it was fun he quipped later.

Just one Grand Slam this year

However, the implication of the crowd developed to be a split issue. Medvedev attempted to whip up energy and Benjamin Bonzi claimed that he was making oil on the fire and he never wanted to serve under hostile conditions. In spite of fighting back to claim the third and fourth sets, Medvedev still lost in a close five set battle  6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 and it was another year of disappointment, only one Grand Slam title in 2025.

Medvedev later accepted that he is likely to be fined as fellow player Reilly Opelka had been accused of hefty fines by calling the umpire the worse on the tour. The US Open incident is another dent on his checkered past at the tournament, which is another prick in his thorny thorny relationship with shown fans as well as the officials. 

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka’s US Open Appearance Marred by Fan Backlash