Daniil Medvedev has made his feelings clear following his extraordinary meltdown at the US Open, admitting he expects to be hit with a 'big fine' after a furious on-court row with umpire Greg Allensworth and a hostile exchange with the New York crowd.
The 2021 champion was dumped out in a five-set thriller by unseeded Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, losing 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 in the early hours of Monday morning.
It was Medvedev’s third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam this year and his first opening-round defeat in New York since making his main-draw debut in 2017.
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But the match will be remembered less for the result and more for the bizarre controversy that unfolded late in the third set when Bonzi, serving at 5-4 and holding match point, was suddenly interrupted.
Daniil Medvedev has made his feelings clear following his extraordinary meltdown at the US Open, admitting he expects to be hit with a 'big fine' after a furious on-court row with umpire Greg Allensworth and a hostile exchange with the New York crowd
|REUTERS
After missing his first serve, a photographer mistakenly stepped onto the court, prompting Allensworth to allow Bonzi a fresh first serve.
That decision enraged Medvedev, who stormed to the umpire’s chair demanding answers.
“I wasn’t upset with the photographer,” he clarified afterwards. “I was upset with the decision.
"Every time there’s a sound from the stands between serves, there’s never a second serve. But the umpire gave him a first serve. That’s what made me angry.”
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The Russian’s protests quickly escalated.
He turned towards the television cameras and shouted: “What did Reilly Opelka?” — a pointed reference to the American player who earlier this year branded Allensworth the “worst umpire on tour” during the Dallas Open, an outburst that saw Opelka heavily fined.
Medvedev admitted he now expects to suffer the same fate.
“I’m getting a big enough fine, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not gonna speak,” he said in his press conference.
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Daniil Medvedev was visibly upset after a camera person walked on the court at match point. pic.twitter.com/5wnVf2GSFm
— ESPN (@espn) August 25, 2025
“Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I say Reilly. He got fined big time for this so I’m gonna get a big fine too.”
Pressed on how much he might be docked, the former world No 1 was typically forthright.
“I have no idea," he admitted.
"They fine guys like me much more than other guys… Kyrgios, me, Bublik, who else? Reilly. Even if Reilly’s a nice guy, they fine him just because they don’t like him.”
As the argument continued, the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd made their feelings known, showering Medvedev with loud boos.
Rather than backing down, the 28-year-old goaded them further, sarcastically blowing kisses and forming heart shapes with his hands.
The jeering delayed play by several minutes, but Medvedev shrugged off the impact.
“They did the work, I didn’t do anything,” he said with a grin.
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Daniil Medvedev couldn't hide his fury as he exited the US Open in the first round
|REUTERS
“And they pushed me to come back into the match… it was fun for me.”
Asked if the stoppage disrupted the contest, he was blunt: “At one moment I asked them to stop. But they didn’t.
"I thought, ‘ok let’s try to control them to stop.’ But they didn’t want to stop. So whatever. But he [Bonzi] had a moment, like I think, as you say six minutes, but one time after three minutes, he had a moment where he could serve and one guy would whistle and he didn’t serve. His problem.”
The US Open has since confirmed the photographer in question has had his credentials revoked following the controversy, meaning he's now banned for the rest of the tournament.