Daniil Medvedev’s Smashes His Racket In Viral U.S. Open Meltdown

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev had a meltdown during his match against France’s Benjamin Bonzi at the U.S. Open on Aug. 24 after a photographer entered the court on match point, leading the umpire to award Bonzi another first serve. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth made the call after telling the photographer to get off the court and was soon confronted by an enraged Medvedev, who began encouraging the crowd to boo loudly. “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” Medvedev shouted into the microphones near the umpire’s chair. He also taunted him, asking, “Are you a man?” The 2021 U.S. Open winner continued to encourage the booing, which only got louder. The game was ultimately delayed six minutes, though Bonzi did serve as Medvedev appeared to try to calm the crowd. Although Bonzi lost the point and missed the first serve, he did end up winning the match. The photographer had his credential revoked and was escorted from the court by U.S. Open security, according to NBC News.