Daniil Medvedev plays victim after US Open outburst: They fine guys like me more

Former champion Daniil Medvedev tried to cast himself as the victim even as he faced criticism for his on-court outburst during his US Open first-round loss to Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday. Medvedev insisted he was not at fault for the nearly ten-minute delay in the match and said he expected a hefty fine for his questionable behaviour during the opening round of the season’s final Grand Slam.

Citing the example of a significant fine previously handed to Reilly Opelka, the 29-year-old accused tennis authorities of showing bias against certain players, who, he claimed, are punished more harshly than “others”.

Medvedev riled up the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in New York when he clashed with the chair umpire in the third set. Bonzi, seemingly on course to seal a straight-sets victory, was serving for the match at 5-4, 40/30 when a photographer moved along the side of the court to take his position in the photographers’ pit.

Spotting the movement, the chair umpire allowed Bonzi a first serve, even though he had already faulted before the photographer appeared. Medvedev was incensed by the decision and lost his temper, delivering an offensive rant in which he accused the umpire of wanting to finish early rather than do his job properly.

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Initially booed by the New York crowd, Medvedev suddenly found himself being cheered as the atmosphere grew increasingly raucous. The noise levels remained deafening for more than five minutes, delaying play further.

A visibly rattled Bonzi squandered his match point, allowing Medvedev back into the contest. The 2021 US Open champion seized the momentum, winning the third-set tie-break and then bagelling Bonzi in the fourth, buoyed by the crowd’s support. He even broke early in the deciding set but was broken twice himself before eventually falling to a 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-0, 4-6 defeat.

“I am getting a big enough fine, so if I speak I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak. Not everyone knows what I was talking about when I mentioned Reilly. Reilly got fined big time for this, so I’m going to get a big fine too,” Medvedev told the press on Sunday evening.

“I have no idea. 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,” he added.

'I WAS NOT UPSET WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER'

Medvedev clarified that his anger was not directed at the photographer but at the decision to award Bonzi a first serve at such a crucial stage of the match.

“I was not upset with the photographer it was nothing special. 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,” he said.

Facing a grilling from the press, the Russian was asked whether he had been deliberately testing the limits to see if he would be defaulted. Another reporter went as far as to ask if this might have been the final match of his career. Medvedev, however, appeared more composed in the interview room than he had been on court.

At the conclusion of the contest, Medvedev vented his frustration by smashing his racquet repeatedly — a fitting end to what has been a nightmare season in the Grand Slams. The former World No 1, who reached at least one major final every year between 2021 and 2024, has managed just a single Grand Slam singles win in 2025 — a first-round victory at the Australian Open.