Not for the first time in New York, Daniil Medvedev played the part of the pantomime villain perfectly at the US Open this year.
Usually, however, the combustible Russian is at odds with the equally tempestuous Queen’s crowd – most famously during his memorable run to the final in 2019 where he goaded spectators into a cacophony of jeers by thanking them for their vocal opposition.
This time around, Medvedev used the crowd’s shared indignation to whip them up against the umpire and his opponent.
In what were, quite frankly, unsettling scenes on a feverish night on Louis Armstrong Stadium a few days ago, Benjamin Bonzi was awarded another first serve following a bizarre interruption from a photographer who entered the court between Bonzi’s serves on match point.
Cue the predictable outrage from Medvedev and with it, total bedlam that took nearly seven minutes to subside enough for play to resume.
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That preceded further unsavoury scenes as Medvedev sat disconsolate in his chair long after the match had concluded, just after having obliterated his tennis racquet.
Quite rightly, such behaviour was never likely to go unpunished.
Indeed, the 2021 champion himself foresaw what was coming when he admitted in his post-match press conference that a hefty fine was coming his way.
“I’m getting a big enough fine, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak,” he said.
Today the USTA confirmed Medvedev’s fears as they announced a substantial fine of $42,500. They issued a $30,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct and a further $12,500 for destroying his racquet after the contest.
The upshot is that it means the Russian will lose about 40% of the first-round prize money he received.
A former world No 1 and US Open champion, Medvedev has endured a horrendous season in the Grands Slams, winning only one match back at the start of the year in Melbourne before three consecutive first-round exits at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and now New York.
For Medvedev’s sake, the hope is that this latest sorry incident marks the nadir of his recent slump, and perhaps this can be used as a catalyst for improvement, growth and ultimately a return to where this player belongs – in the latter stages of Grand Slam tournaments.
