Daniil Medvedev cops massive fine after on-court meltdown in US Open first-round loss against Benjamin Bonzi

Daniil Medvedev was slapped with a hefty fine for his on-court meltdown following his first-round exit from the US Open earlier this week. The Russian player has been fined $42,500 following his heated exchange with chair umpire Greg Allensworth as well as for repeatedly smashing his racquet while seated courtside after the game.

Medvedev was fine $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for racquet abuse, which is almost 40 per cent of the $110,000 prize money that the world No 13 earned for his Round 1 appearance in the final Grand Slam of the Year.

Medvedev made to pay for his on-court antics

The incident took place during Medvedev’s first-round meeting with France’s Benjamin Bonzi, who had also inflicted a first-round loss on him at the Wimbledon last month. Bonzi was two sets up and was leading 5-4 in the third when he missed his first serve.

Umpire Allensworth, however, awarded the first serve back to him due to the fact that a photographer inadvertently took a couple of steps into the court, which was deemed interference to play.

A furious Medvedev confronted the chair umpire for his decision, believing the photographer’s movement inside the court was too brief for it to be considered interference. As if that’s not all, the 29-year-old started chanting Reilly Opelka’s name, with the American player having previously been penalised for describing Allensworth as the “worst ump on tour”.

Also Read | What’s wrong with Daniil Medvedev? The technical and mental breakdown behind Russian’s dramatic collapse

The 2021 US Open champion fought back from two sets down, winning the third set in tie-breaks and collecting a bagel in the fourth. Bonzi, who had vanquished Medvedev in four sets at Wimbledon, had the last laugh has he took the fifth set to complete a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 0-6, 6-4 victory.

An aggrieved Medvedev unleashed his frustration on his racquet, repeatedly smashing it which elicited strong reactions from tennis legends such as John McEnroe and Boris Becker.

Bonzi, meanwhile, would play out a five-setter in his second-round meeting with Marcos Giron as well, fighting back from two sets down to defeat the American 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 and set up a third-round meeting with fellow Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.