"The spectacle put on by Medvedev was deplorable," Toni Nadal slams the Russian's behavior at the US Open

Adrien Guyot

le 31/08/2025 à 14h33

2 min to read

Medvedev US Open

Daniil Medvedev concluded his dismal 2025 Grand Slam season with a third consecutive first-round exit in this category of tournaments, having won only one match in Majors since January.

After falling early in Paris and London, the Russian lost to Benjamin Bonzi in five sets at the US Open, in a match with an improbable scenario marked by the appearance of a photographer near the court just as the Frenchman was about to hit a second serve on match point.

In a frenzied crowd, Medvedev then harangued the spectators before making a comeback in the match. Ultimately, he lost after a hard-fought battle and then smashed his racket. The result: a $42,500 fine.

Just as the player has officially announced the end of his collaboration with his iconic coach Gilles Cervara, Medvedev's behavior is still making headlines a week later. Toni Nadal, for his part, was not gentle in his remarks about the Russian.

"The time has come for tennis leaders to consider applying sanctions for players who break their rackets on the court. We must ask ourselves why this behavior is becoming increasingly frequent in our sport.

I have never seen a table tennis player break their racket or a golfer take out their frustration on their club after making a mistake. The spectacle put on by Medvedev was deplorable.

He was the one who started it all, but also the public, who demanded more entertainment than tennis. I am surprised that a player of Daniil (Medvedev)'s caliber is unable to control his nerves. Tennis players are increasingly less capable of mastering their frustration.

This is the world we live in, which doesn't concern us, where rudeness or misconduct is applauded. And for that, there is no sporting sanction," Rafael Nadal's uncle lamented to Punto de Break.