Daniil Medvedev suffered an opening-round defeat in the US Open 2025 after being beaten by Benjamin Bonzi in a five-setter. Medvedev had an ugly meltdown with the chair umpire in a chaotic pause during the third set.
Daniil Medvedev suffered a first-round exit at the US Open 2025 after his loss to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi on August 24 (August 25 as per IST). Medvedev, the US Open 2021 winner, suffered a shocking opening-round defeat 3-6, 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 4-6 to the 51st-ranked Bonzi in a five-setter that saw an ugly meltdown from the Russian.
Medvedev went furious after the chair umpire asked Bonzi for a redo of his first serve following an interruption from one of the photographers at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. The incident took place in the third set after Bonzi had won both sets and was at match point on 5-4 with the serve at his disposal.
He missed his first serve, and as he was preparing for his second, a photographer stepped onto the playing surface, which caused a delay. The chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, awarded Bonzi a redo of his first serve, which heated the Russian.
Medvedev charged towards the umpire in an exchange of words as he fumed over his decision. He has now spoken about his meltdown at the Court after suffering his third consecutive first-round defeat at a Major.
“I wasn’t upset with the photographer,” Medvedev said in a press conference. “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.”
Following the argument, Medvedev yelled, “What did Reilly Opelka?” to the cameras. Notably, Opelka, the American, had called Allensworth the ‘worst umpire on the tour’ earlier during the Dallas Open in February. The American was slapped with a fine.
“I’m getting a big enough fine, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not gonna speak. Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I say Reily. He got fined big time for this so I’m gonna get a big fine too,” Medvedev said while explaining his remarks.
Meanwhile, the Russian was also asked how much fine he expects to be handed. “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 and they fine him just because they don’t like him.”
The match was stopped for six minutes and went on with Bonzi serving his first serve again and faulting it. The Frenchman lost the point, and Medvedev staged a comeback as he clinched the set in a tie-breaker.ย
The Russian went on to sweep the fourth set 6-0 and took the match into a decider, and it seemed he would get the better of Bonzi, but the Frenchman found his second wind and turned the tables to clinch the set 6-4 and a chaotic match at Flushing Meadows.