Ex-Pro Calls Out Daniil Medvedev’s US Open Behavior With Brutal Comparison to Sinner and Alcaraz

In just two months, Daniil Medvedev has endured back-to-back first-round exits at Grand Slam tournaments — both at the hands of Benjamin Bonzi. But this time, the 2021 US Open champion couldn’t contain his frustration and exploded at the umpire. During his match against Benjamin Bonzi, with the score 5-4, 40/30 in the third set, a cameraman interrupted Bonzi’s serve. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi another first serve. A furious Medvedev protested loudly, whipping the crowd into a chorus of boos. This caused a lengthy delay. Despite the uproar, the match didn’t go Medvedev’s way. Nicolas Mahut, the former tennis player and coach to Bonzi, later shared his thoughts on the incident.

Mahut, who played the longest tennis match in history against John Isner at Wimbledon 2010, is not unfamiliar to intense on-court moments. Talking to L’Equipe, the Frenchman had one pressing question: Why would a player of Daniil’s caliber loose his control while the world watched? He went on to even say that top players like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner would never cross the line.

Nicolas Mahut was quick to point fingers at the officiating, followed with the Alcaraz and Jannik comparison. “I think the referee didn’t necessarily handle the situation well and I prefer not to comment on Daniil Medvedev’s behavior in the heat of the moment because I don’t want to say things I might regret, but I cannot imagine Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner acting that way for a second,” Mahut, who has been coaching Bonzi since the start of the North American tour, said. He also reflected on the tense match, admitting Daniil’s 6-0 fourth-set domination had him worried, while praising Benjamin for keeping his composure until the very end.

“What happened in the third set made him cramp. When he’s up 6-0 in the fourth and a break behind in the fifth, you start to think it’s going to be difficult. He found the resources and was extremely courageous. I think it’s really a match that will count in his career and that will take him to the next level,” Nicolas Mahut added.

Meanwhile, Medvedev, after his 1st-round exit, opened up about the consequences he will be facing for his outburst. “I’m getting a big fine enough, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak,” the Russian said. And with this controversial start, the incident has become a red-hot topic on the internet, with Taylor Fritz and insiders also chiming in.

Insiders weigh in on Daniil Medvedev’s US Open drama

Taylor Fritz, fresh from his win over Emilio Nava, jumped into the debate on X. Journalist Ben Ruthenberg pointed out the photographer was quickly escorted off, igniting fan fury. TikTok Tennis even shared video of the removal with the caption, “The next time you think you’ve had a bad day at work, remember…” And Genie Bouchard? She tweeted, “Can’t go to sleep because of this Medvedev match omgggg the drama.”

Bonzi wasn’t happy either. Josh Morgado shared that Bonzi wanted a time violation on Medvedev, saying, “He is doing this. I’m not playing. I’m leaving the court.” Was the umpire’s call fair? Fritz responded with a cool take on X: “Ya, he should get a first, but the call ends up backfiring and hurting him because of the pause, having to sit on a match point for 10 min and then the crowd getting super into it against you. Unless Bonzi hits a huge first serve and gets a free point off the pause, then the whole thing is actually really bad for him.”

Top Comment by Rama57

Bonzi won the match almost a couple of hours later after he was given the first serve at match point....more

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Ruthenberg added that the chaos could’ve been avoided if Bonzi had just served. “He had the ball in his hand but chose not to continue,” he said. But by then, the momentum had shifted. That extra first serve helped Bonzi pull off the upset, beating Medvedev 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 in a dramatic five-set thriller.

Medvedev knows the heat he’s in. “I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak, I’m in big trouble so I’m not gonna speak,” he admitted, referencing Reilly Opelka’s similar woes. The loss marked Medvedev’s third straight first-round Grand Slam exit in 2025.

What’s next? The US Open rages on with defending champ Jannik Sinner and World No.1 hopeful Carlos Alcaraz ready to light up the courts. Stay tuned—this tournament is far from over! Catch all the latest drama on our Live Blog now!