In one of the most tumultuous matches of the 2025 US Open, former champion Daniil Medvedev was unceremoniously knocked out in the first round by Benjamin Bonzi, in a match marred not by injury or brilliance, but by chaos—most of which Medvedev helped fuel himself.
The Spark That Ignited the Fury
With Bonzi serving for the match at 5-4, 5-4 in the third set, and facing match point, play came to a halt as a photographer mistakenly stepped onto the court mid-point. The chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, ruled it deserved a replay of Bonzi’s first serve—an unusual decision that immediately infuriated Medvedev.
Medvedev’s Outburst:
What followed was pandemonium. Medvedev sprinted toward the umpire, accusing him not of targeting the photographer, but of mishandling the situation: “I wasn’t upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision,” he later explained.
But Medvedev didn’t stop there—he turned to the crowd, egging them on to vociferous boos aimed at both Bonzi and the umpire. “He wants to go home, guys. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” he yelled, invoking a bizarre rallying cry that stoked the atmosphere into a feverish crescendo.
A Six-Minute Delay of Mayhem
The disruption lasted over six minutes, with fans roaring and Medvedev fueling them, before play eventually resumed. It was only after this extraordinary delay that Bonzi finally served—then double-faulted. Medvedev won the point, the third set (via tiebreak), and rode that momentum to dominate the fourth, only to lose a tight fifth set. The final score: 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4
Medvedev’s Press-Conference Take
After the loss, Medvedev, still bristling, reiterated: “The crowd pushed me to come back into the match… I didn’t do anything.” He praised New York’s intensity: “I love New York… They did the work… It was fun to witness.” He also admitted he expected a substantial fine for his conduct.
Reflecting on his season, he candidly added that his performance across the majors had been lackluster, mourning that in pivotal moments, he simply “played bad” and vowed to do better next year.
Bonzi’s View: “He Put Oil on the Fire”
Bonzi, shaken but composed, called the match “crazy” and “the best victory ever.” He felt Medvedev overstepped: “Daniil started it, he put oil on the fire… I felt I didn’t do anything bad… I didn’t want to serve in those conditions”
He spoke of the pandemonium vividly: “The energy was crazy… We waited maybe five minutes… There was so much noise”
A Recurring Theme of Turbulence
This wasn’t Medvedev’s first run-in with controversy. His volatile history at the US Open spans from his 2019 on-court blow-ups and court-taunting to the jeers that followed his 2023 run, and emotional outbursts at previous majors—painting a portrait of a player of immense talent but combustible temperament.
Final Thoughts
This dramatic-match meltdown serves as a reminder that sports are as much about spectacle as skill. Here, Medvedev became both agent and instigator of the drama—even while claiming, “I didn’t do anything.” His words captured a defiant composure amid the mayhem he helped orchestrate. Whether fans saw a savvy entertainer or a poor sport depends on one’s perspective—but for better or worse, this match will linger as one of the most chaotic moments in recent US Open history.
