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Daniil Medvedev’s opening round at the US Open turned turbulent on Sunday when the past champion had an intense outburst directed at the umpire.
The Russian ex-world No. 1 embarked on his Grand Slam journey against unseeded French player Benjamin Bonzi on the Louis Armstrong court.
The contest experienced a delay of more than six minutes during the third set when Medvedev launched a fervent protest against chair umpire Greg Allensworth, objecting to the decision to grant Bonzi an additional serve.
Bonzi was serving for the match leading 5-4 in the third set after winning the first two with the advantage in deuce.
Following his initial serve miss, a photographer vacated his position before Bonzi could execute the second serve, rushing along the sideline to capture Bonzi’s potential victory celebration.
However, noticing the score, the photographer quickly realized his error and attempted to make a quick escape.
Former winner Daniil Medvedev’s US Open opener descended into chaos Sunday night
A photographer left his position and walked on to the court too early causing a disruption
Medvedev was knocked out of the US Open by the unseeded Frenchman in the five-set thriller
Allensworth told the photographer to get off the court, then announced that Bonzi would get another first serve because of the delay.
‘First serve. Ladies and gentlemen, because of the delay caused by an outside interference, first serve has been granted,’ he called.
This type of decision is standard in tennis, yet Medvedev was incensed. The 2021 US Open champion approached the chair umpire, inciting the crowd’s disapproval.
‘Are you a man? Are you a man?’ Medvedev questioned Allensworth, adding, ‘Why are you shaking? What’s wrong, huh? Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.’
‘What did Reilly Opelka say?,’ Medvedev repeatedly shouted to the crowd as he continued to rile them up.
Earlier this year, Opelka was fined by the ATP Tour for branding Allensworth the ‘worst ump on tour.’
Medvedev kept encouraging the loud boos on Louis Armstrong Stadium, which eventually lasted so long that he then tried to get fans to quiet down so Bonzi could serve.
When he finally did, he double-faulted, and Medvedev won the game and later the set in a tiebreaker to prolong the match.
As a result of the interruption, umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Benjamin Bonzi a first serve
Medvedev saw red at the chair umpire’s decision launching into a heated tirade
The Russian riled up the crowd and encouraged them to boo by shouting into the microphones
A US Tennis Association spokesman later said the photographer was escorted from the court by US Open security and his credential was revoked.
Medvedev went on to level the match, dominating the fourth set 6-0 to help extend his hopes of a comeback victory.
And in one wild moment, he was even caught making a graphic gesture in celebration. However, it is unclear if it was directed at the umpire or the crowd in general.
Yet, Bonzi dug deep, producing a Herculean effort in the fifth set to hold on for the match victory, despite the on-court drama.
And the defeat sparked yet another meltdown from Medvedev who continued to spiral long after his clash with the umpire.
Following the end of the match, he was caught on the broadcast repeatedly smashing his racket on his bench at least 11 times, stealing Bonzi’s triumphant moment from him.
It was reminiscent of Medvedev’s 2019 match on the same court, when fans booed him for his antics and he later said in his post-match interview that the crowd gave him energy.
Medvedev had snatched the towel from a ballperson during the match and was given a code violation by umpire Damien Dumusois. Medvedev then threw his racket in the direction of Dumusois, barked something at him and later flashed his middle finger next to his forehead as he walked past the umpire´s chair, actions that led to him being fined $9,000 for that match.
The Russian was caught repeatedly smashing his racket on his bench after his defeat
Bonzi blocked out the noise to bounce back in the fifth and seal his place in the second round
As his opponent attempted to soak up his win, Medvedev furiously smashed his racket 11 times
Medvedev reached the final that year, then won the title two years later. But he has struggled this year in the majors and was upset by Bonzi in the first round at Wimbledon.
In February, Opelka was also left furious at Allensworth that he received a point penalty while serving for the match in the third set against Cameron Norrie at the Dallas Open. Opelka went on to win 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
The 27-year-old American was penalized for using profanity while berating a member of the crowd. Opelka said the unidentified fan was repeatedly and intentionally disrupting his serve.
After the match, Opelka said umpire Greg Allensworth failed to stop the fan from disrupting play.
‘Worst ump on tour,’ Opelka said. ‘He’s real bad. Almost changed the outcome of that match just because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. And he got emotional, when we were arguing. … He didn’t tell (the fan) to shut up? He was doing it for, like, three points. He didn’t do his job, so I had to tell him, ‘Get out of here.’
