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medvedev meltdown

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Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev suffered a high-profile meltdown during his first-round match against France’s Benjamin Bonzi at the 2025 U.S. Open on August 24, after a dramatic incident involving a photographer disrupted play at match point[1][2][3]. The chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, allowed Bonzi to replay his first serve, igniting Medvedev’s rage; Medvedev loudly confronted the umpire and began riling up the New York crowd, declaring into courtside microphones, “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” and taunting, “Are you a man?”[1][3][5].

The crowd responded intensely, with the game delayed by about six minutes amid loud boos and whistles. Bonzi lost the immediate point but ultimately won the match in five sets[1][2]. The photographer was escorted out and stripped of credentials by U.S. Open security[1][3].

Medvedev smashed his racket in frustration and explained afterward that his anger was directed at the umpire’s decision—not at the photographer himself[3][5]. “Every time there’s a sound from the stands between serves, there is never a second serve,” he said, suggesting the call was unfair. Medvedev insisted he did not intentionally incite the crowd, stating, “They did the work. I didn’t do anything… The crowd did what they did without me asking them too much, and it was fun to witness,” while Bonzi argued Medvedev “put oil on the fire” and crossed the line[5].

Despite briefly rallying with crowd support, winning the following set and showing gestures of gratitude, Medvedev ultimately lost the match after Bonzi survived repeated break points in the deciding set[2]. This latest Grand Slam exit marked Medvedev’s third consecutive first-round loss at a major, an uncharacteristic downturn for the 2021 U.S. Open champion who until recently made at least one Slam final per year[2][4].

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