The On-Court Meltdown That Cost Daniil Medvedev a Massive $42,500 Fine
Daniil Medvedev isn’t exactly known for keeping his emotions hidden. Over the years, fans have seen him argue with umpires, rile up crowds, and accumulate fines that rival some players’ prize money. For many, that unpredictability has become part of his identity, the “friendly villain” who plays brilliant tennis one moment and loses his temper the next. So his name popping up alongside yet another fine at the US Open could easily have been a “here we go again” moment.
But tournament officials actually hit Medvedev with a $42,500 penalty! For perspective, that’s almost 40 percent of what he earned for showing up in the first round. You’d have to wonder what kind of chaos warranted one of the stiffest punishments in recent US Open memory.
The Heavy Price of a Short Fuse
Image via Getty Images/Pollyana Ventura
The trouble started late in his first-round clash against France’s Benjamin Bonzi. Bonzi was on the brink of victory and serving at 5-4 in the third set, when a photographer walked across the court between serves. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth ruled that the interruption meant Bonzi could replay his first serve instead of continuing with a second.
Medvedev stormed toward the chair, shouting “Are you a man? Why are you shaking?” into the microphone. He mocked Allensworth further, telling the crowd the umpire “gets paid by the match, not by the hour.” As boos filled Louis Armstrong Stadium, Medvedev raised his arms, egging the crowd on. The match was stuck in limbo for more than six minutes, with Bonzi visibly rattled and even threatening to walk off in frustration.
When play finally resumed, Medvedev harnessed the chaos to claw back the third set and then steamrolled through the fourth with a rare bagel, 6-0. But that surge didn’t last. Bonzi steadied himself and closed out the match in a deciding fifth, thus giving Medvedev his third consecutive first-round loss at a Grand Slam. Once it was over, the Russian expressed his anger again by smashing his racket repeatedly against his bench before sitting in silence for several minutes.
That destructive finale sealed the size of the fine: $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for racket abuse. The total ranks among the largest in US Open history. Medvedev himself admitted he knew a big fine was coming, saying afterward, “I’m getting a big enough fine, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble.” Losing control is pretty costly, it seems.
Concern and Support
For longtime followers of Medvedev, this wasn’t entirely surprising. He has a history of clashes that includes flipping off a US Open crowd in 2019, throwing coins at an umpire at Wimbledon in 2017, and a total $76,000 punishment for smashing a camera and racket at the 2025 Australian Open.
Other players weren’t blind to the fallout, either. Friend and fellow pro Andrey Rublev said he’d support Medvedev if he wanted to work on controlling his emotions, while American Frances Tiafoe suggested the frustration stems from repeated early exits at majors.