Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, crashed out in the first round of this year’s competition. The Russian, who had already suffered back-to-back first-round Grand Slam losses in Paris and London, suffered another disappointment as his French opponent Benjamin Bonzi clinched victory.
The Controversial Cameraman Incident
The drama unfolded when Bonzi’s serve on match point clipped the net, but instead of being counted as a fault, chair umpire Greg Allensworth ruled a replay. The reason? A cameraman had casually walked into the court area during the serve. The decision infuriated Medvedev, who argued the cameraman had no impact on the fault.
Clearly enraged, the Russian charged at the umpire and began a red-faced tirade. “Are you a man? Why are you trembling? What’s wrong with you?” Medvedev yelled, even venting his wrath into the television camera. His sportsmanship produced thunderous boos from the New York fans, bringing play to a standstill for almost five minutes as Bonzi would not serve until order was restored.
INSANE scenes in the Medvedev & Bonzi match at US Open
A cameraman was trying to leave after Bonzi missed his 1st serve.
The umpire gave Bonzi a 1st serve.
Daniil: “Are you a man? Are you a man? why are you shaking? What’s wrong huh? Guys he wants to leave. He gets paid by… pic.twitter.com/nzlqgoWxre---Advertisement---— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025
Taunting the Crowd, Riding the Momentum
As tensions escalated, Medvedev mocked the audience with flying kisses and heart gestures, further fueling the boos. Ironically, as soon as Bonzi’s served it landed in the net, the crowd jeered sarcastically in Medvedev’s favor. The momentum suddenly shifted Bonzi committed an unforced error, and Medvedev pounced with a decisive winner to level the set at 5-5. But it didn’t last for long and Bonzi made a strong comeback.
Daniil Medvedev Loses 1st Round And Breaks His Racket
Daniil Medvedev smashed his racket after his first-round loss at the US Open. pic.twitter.com/HJtQAYcfHA
— ESPN (@espn) August 25, 2025
But at the end Medvedev could not clinch the first round as Bonzi survived a long battle to finally win with the results being – 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 0-6, 6-4. After the US Open exit, Medvedev was extremely frustrated and he smashed his racket on the ground and then hit it multiple times on his bag till it was completely broken. This also marks Bonzi’s second straight win over Medvedev in first round of a grand slam.
