Medvedev provokes crowd, smashes racket after early exit at US Open

(Dan Tri) - Daniil Medvedev lost to Benjamin Bonzi in the first round of the US Open in 5 sets. The Russian tennis player left behind a chaotic match when he incited the audience to make noise or smash his racket after losing.

Daniil Medvedev’s 2025 Grand Slam season has ended in utter disappointment, with the former world No. 1 only managing one major victory. A 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 loss to Benjamin Bonzi at the US Open on the morning of August 25 put an end to a turbulent year for the Russian.

After winning the third set in a dramatic and chaotic fashion, Medvedev was broken twice in the deciding set. Immediately after shaking hands with his opponent, he sat down in his chair and then smashed the racket in his hand, an act of utter frustration. Medvedev left the court without a racket, having thrown all six rackets in his bag into the stands to give away to the crowd.

Medvedev was extremely disappointed after losing in the first round of the US Open (Photo: Getty).

Despite some spectacular saves and some excellent shots, Medvedev still committed 64 unforced errors on Louis Armstrong Court. It was Bonzi's second straight Grand Slam win over Medvedev, after the Frenchman also beat him at Wimbledon in late June.

Medvedev's 2025 Grand Slam journey began with a hard-fought win over Kasidit Samrej (world No. 418) at the Australian Open, where he had to fight back from two sets down. However, he then lost to Learner Tien in the second round in Melbourne, fell to Cameron Norrie at Roland Garros, and lost twice to Bonzi at Wimbledon and the US Open.

“I'm playing badly, and even worse at important moments. Everything: serve, return, volley, whatever. I need to play better, and I'll try to do that next year,” Medvedev admitted about his Grand Slam season.

The chaos at Louis Armstrong Stadium began when a photographer ran onto the court as Bonzi missed a decisive serve in the 10th game of the third set. Umpire Greg Allensworth re-awarded the Frenchman, prompting Medvedev to protest and inciting cheers from the crowd. The commotion lasted for about five minutes before the two players were able to resume play.

Medvedev argues with the referee at the US Open (Photo: Getty).

As play resumed, an error by Bonzi sent the crowd into a frenzy. Medvedev then won a break point to level the score at 5-5, making a heart sign with his hands to thank the crowd for their support. The Russian continued the gesture after winning the tie-break.

Medvedev stormed into the fourth set and broke in the first game of the fifth. However, he lost the break immediately. He also returned a break to level the score at 3-3. Despite serving poorly due to a leg injury, Bonzi saved five break points to hold for 4-3 and then broke Medvedev in the final game, giving new coach Nicolas Mahut a dramatic victory.

“It was a very important win, it was my first Grand Slam with Nico, our first week together. I gave everything on the court and today I won. I am very proud of myself, of the scenario of the match. This match was crazy. For me, it was like the best win ever. It was special to do it here,” Bonzi said after the match.

Outside of the majors, Medvedev has had some success in 2025, reaching the ATP Masters 1000 semifinals at Indian Wells and the ATP 500 finals at Halle. However, the 29-year-old's disastrous Grand Slam performances represent a significant decline for a player who has been one of the most consistent performers in recent years: Medvedev has reached at least one Grand Slam final every year from 2021 to 2024.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/medvedev-kich-dong-khan-gia-dap-nat-vot-sau-khi-bi-loai-som-tai-us-open-20250825181158119.htm