Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev brought some serious drama to the US Open 2025. It all went down on Sunday, August 24, and had everyone talking.
During his match against France’s Benjamin Bonzi, things took a wild turn. A photographer suddenly walked onto the court. This happened right at match point in the third set. Bonzi, who is 29, was lining up his second serve when the game stopped cold. The chair umpire made a call: Bonzi would get another first serve.
This decision sent Medvedev, also 29, into a fit. He stormed over to the umpire’s chair. His voice cut through the air. “Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking?” the athlete yelled. Medvedev kept going, clearly upset. “He wants to go home, guys, he doesn’t like being here. He gets paid per match, not by the hour.”
The match paused for more than six minutes. The crowd wasn’t happy and booed loudly. Soon after, the photographer was escorted out of Louis Armstrong Stadium. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) later confirmed they took away his credentials.
Once the chaos calmed down, Bonzi finally served. He went on to win the match. The final score was 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4. After his loss, Medvedev was caught on camera. He sat in his chair, smashing his racket over and over. Then, he left the court. You can see the moment here: destroying his racket.
Bonzi spoke about the experience after the match. “It was crazy,” he said. “He might have gained some new fans, but also some new non-fans.” Bonzi appreciated the wild energy. “The energy was incredible. Thanks to everyone who booed. Thanks for the energy.” You can watch his comments here: after the match.
Bonzi, who is ranked 51st in the world, admitted he’d “never experienced anything like it.” He pointed out, “There was so much noise.”
Medvedev became the first past champion to exit this year’s tournament. He later tried to explain his outburst during a press conference. “The photographer didn’t bother me,” Medvedev clarified. “The decision bothered me.” He explained that usually, a second serve isn’t allowed if there’s noise between serves. “But the umpire gave him the first serve. That’s what made me angry.”
Medvedev even said it was “fun to witness” how involved the fans became. He felt he was losing and couldn’t break Bonzi’s serve. “I got emotional,” he shared. “Honestly, as I was going through it, I thought, ‘You know what? Maybe it would be fun to end my career with one last match at the US Open.’” He added, “I love New York. They did the job. I didn’t do anything. The crowd pushed me back into the match.”
However, Bonzi saw things differently. He told reporters, “Daniil started and added fuel to the fire. He got carried away by the crowd’s craziness. He went with them. Honestly, I never saw that.” Bonzi stood by the rules. “The rule is the rule. The guy came onto the court between two serves. It’s not for me to say if it’s a first serve. I felt like I didn’t do anything wrong in the match to get this treatment, and I didn’t want to serve under those conditions.”
The US Open 2025 started on Sunday. It will wrap up on September 7.