The tennis courts at the 2025 US Open saw more than just serves and volleys this past Sunday, August 24. Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev, known for his fiery personality, completely lost his cool. His wife, Daria Medvedeva, was spotted in the stands, looking utterly distraught as her husband’s anger boiled over.
Daria, 31, was caught on camera with her head buried in her hands. She sat next to her husband’s coach, Gilles Cervara, who kept a stone-faced look. This moment, shared by tennis journalist José Morgado on X, seemed to capture Daria’s reaction to one of Medvedev’s many frustrated outbursts during his match against Benjamin Bonzi. The couple tied the knot in 2018 and are proud parents to daughters Alisa, 2, and Vika, 8 months.
The drama unfolded when a photographer decided to step onto the court. This happened at a really important moment: Bonzi, 29, was at match point in the third set, getting ready for his second serve. The game stopped for over six minutes. Because of the interruption, the chair umpire made a call that got Medvedev really worked up. The umpire decided Bonzi could try his first serve again.
Medvedev, 29, stormed over to the umpire, yelling, “Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking? He wants to go home, guys, he doesn’t like it here. He gets paid per match, not per hour.” The crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium didn’t like this one bit. They booed loudly and chanted “second serve” as Medvedev continued his rant. Meanwhile, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) acted swiftly. They escorted the photographer out of the stadium and took away their press pass for good.
Daniil Medvedev CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
In the end, Bonzi managed to snatch the win with scores of 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4. Medvedev’s frustration didn’t end there. After the final point, he was seen slamming his racket against his seat several times.
Later, at the press conference, Medvedev tried to explain his actions. He said the photographer wasn’t the issue. “It was the decision that bothered me,” he shared. “Whenever there’s noise between serves, you never get a first serve again. But the umpire gave him the first serve. That’s what made me angry.” He also found it “funny to witness” how much the fans got into the moment. “I was thinking, ‘I’m losing this match.’ I couldn’t break his serve once,” Medvedev admitted. “I got emotional. Honestly, as I was living it, I thought, ‘You know what? It might be fun to finish my career with just one US Open match.’ I love New York. They did the work. I didn’t do anything. The crowd pushed me back into the game.”
Bonzi, however, saw things differently. He told reporters, “Daniil started it and fueled the fire. He got carried away by the fans. He went along with them. Honestly, I never saw anything like it. A rule is a rule.” He added, “The guy walked onto the court between two serves. It’s not my place to say first serve or not. I felt I didn’t do anything wrong in the match to receive this treatment, and I didn’t want to serve in those conditions.” Bonzi also noted that the energy from the crowd was “crazy.” “I might have gained some new fans, but also some new non-fans,” he joked, thanking those who booed for the “energy.” He concluded by saying he had “never experienced anything like it” before, due to the sheer noise.
The 2025 US Open kicked off on Sunday and will wrap up on September 7, promising more high-stakes matches and, perhaps, more unexpected drama.