Daniil Medvedev receives hefty fine for unsportsmanlike conduct and abuse of equipment after US Open first-round defeat

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has been handed a hefty fine after his meltdown during his first-round defeat at the US Open. The 29-year-old had a night to forget in New York on Sunday, where he was knocked out in the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year after losing in the first round to France’s Benjamin Bonzi in a five-set thriller with a score of 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4.

During a match point in the third set, Medvedev had a fiery conversation with chair umpire Greg Allensworth. The incident occurred when Allensworth awarded a first serve to Bonzi while asking the cameraman, a US Open photographer, who had encroached onto the court in anticipation that the match would soon finish.

That incident left Medvedev furious. He argued that the photographer was not an inconvenience for Bonzi, but he was for him. "Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking? What's wrong, huh?" said Medvedev. That was not the end of the argument as Medvedev then went on to remind the crowd sitting in the arena what America’s Reilly Opelka had to say about the umpire in the past. "What did Reilly Opelka say?,” asked Medvedev. “He earns by the match, not by the hour. Umpire just wants to go home." He then screamed three times: "What did Reilly Opelka say?" before returning to his baseline.

That was not it, as Medvedev then went on to break his racquet in anger after losing the match before leaving the arena. According to a recent report by Sky Sports, Medvedev has been fined a substantial amount for his actions during the match. The report stated that Medvedev received a collective fine exceeding $40,000. Out of that, $30,000 is for his ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ and $12,5000 is for the abuse of equipment. The development means that Medvedev has been fined nearly 40 per cent of what he would have earned for participating in the first round of the US Open. The prize money to feature in the first round at the Flashing Meadows is about $110,000.

Medvedev, after the match, admitted that he would receive a fine for his action. But he also admitted that he had no idea how much the fine would be. “I have no idea[how much the fine would be,” he said while talking to the media after the match. “I'm getting a big enough fine so if I speak I'm in big trouble so I'm not going to speak. Not everyone knows what I'm talking about when I said Reilly. Reilly got fined big time for this so I'm going to get a big fine too.

The incident ended up costing the photographer as well, who saw his accreditation being revoked by the authorities. Medvedev, during the same press conference, admitted that it was not the photographer who caused him any trouble, but that it was the umpire’s decision which made him react the way he did. “I was not upset with the photographer,” said Medvedev. “It was nothing special. Every time there’s a sound from the stands between serves, there is never a second serve. But well, that helped me get back into the match. It was a fun moment to live. I wasn’t upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision”

The events, however, diverted attention from how difficult things have been for Medvedev on the court this year. For the first time since 2017, Medvedev failed to get past the second round of any Grand Slam. His best outing this year came at the Australian Open, where he lost in the round of 64 to America’s Learner Tien in a five-set thriller with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6.