Medvedev smashes racquet after chaotic loss to Bonzi at US Open

Russian star Daniil Medvedev fell to France’s Benjamin Bonzi at the US Open after a bizarre third-set delay.

As Bonzi prepared to serve, a photographer suddenly walked onto the court, causing nearly seven minutes of confusion. Fans booed while officials tried to clear the scene.

«He wants to go home guys, he doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match not by the hour,» Medvedev mocked the umpire, shouting into an ESPN camera.

The break gave Medvedev energy — he forced a tiebreak and stole the set. However, in the deciding set, Bonzi saved five break points and surged ahead. He closed out the match more than 90 minutes after nearly winning it earlier.

After the loss, Medvedev smashed his racquet until it was destroyed, as the crowd booed.

Medvedev absolutely annihilates a racquet pic.twitter.com/JeqVdMqbxf

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) August 25, 2025

«I never experienced something like that,» Bonzi told ESPN. «I don’t know, [we waited maybe] five minutes before the next point. It was so difficult to play. It was so noisy … I tried to stay calm, to stay in the match, but it was not easy.»

Tennis is quite popular in Russia, as the country has produced many famous athletes. But after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many young tennis players chose to play for other countries, like Kazakhstan, to keep the chance to compete and avoid sanctions.