Daniil Medvedev saw his US Open campaign ended in chaos after a bizarre court invasion sparked fury, boos, and a five-set defeat leading to an epic meltdown.
The drama unfolded late in his first-round match against Benjamin Bonzi, with the Frenchman serving for the win. A photographer suddenly stepped onto the court, forcing chair umpire Greg Allensworth to stop play.
“Wait please, not now. Get off the court, please,” the umpire shouted, before ruling that Bonzi would get a first serve again. “First serve. Ladies and gentlemen, because of the delay caused by an onside interference, first serve has been granted.”
Full video of the Medvedev-Bonzi-umpire-photographer drama that COMPLETELY changed the match.
Gotta feel for… Benjamin. Had to stand for 6 minutes before serving on match point while the stadium turned into a circus. A mess. pic.twitter.com/wkEz3B4K6B
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 25, 2025
Medvedev lost it. He marched to the chair and ripped into Allensworth. He then stared into the courtside camera, taunting: “Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking? What’s wrong, huh? Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”
The crowd piled on, whistling and booing as Bonzi tried to serve. When he double-faulted, Medvedev roared back, even stealing the set in a tiebreak.
But the rally didn’t last. Bonzi held his nerve to clinch a 6-3 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 0-6 6-4 victory, leaving Medvedev smashing his racket to pieces against his chair in frustration.
Daniil Medvedev looking totally distraught after his loss to Bonzi at the U.S. open.
He’s smashing his racquet and just sitting on the court.
Brutal loss to swallow.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025
“I never experienced something like that,” Bonzi said. “Maybe we waited five minutes before the match point. Then it was so difficult to play. So noisy.
“All the time during the points, between the points… it was a very wild atmosphere. I tried to stay calm, stay in the match. It was not easy. At the end, I gave all my heart on the court and I have the win today.”
Medvedev’s struggles continue
Medvedev insisted afterwards that he didn’t direct his anger at the photographer. “I was not upset with the photographer… it was nothing special,” he said.
“Every time there’s a sound from the stands between serves, there is never a second serve. But well, that helped me get back into the match. It was a fun moment to live. I wasn’t upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision.”
The USTA confirmed it immediately revoked the photographer’s credentials.
For Daniil Medvedev, it capped a brutal Grand Slam season. He has now fallen at the first hurdle in three of the four majors this year, taking home just over $400,000 in combined prize money.
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