Video - Medvedev narrowly saved: his racket nearly hit a spectator at the 2024 Laver Cup

Arthur Millot

le 20/09/2025 à 16h54

2 min to read

Medvedev Shelton

In a decisive match against Ben Shelton at the 2024 Laver Cup, Daniil Medvedev loses his temper, throws his racket... which bounces towards the spectators. Miraculously, he avoids disqualification, but the discomfort is evident.

It was the intense third day of the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin. Team Europe, Team World: every point matters. Daniil Medvedev, one of the major players on the circuit, faces young American talent Ben Shelton. The atmosphere is electric, the tension palpable.

The match turns during the tie-break of the first set. Medvedev serves at 4-5, the match hangs by a thread. He misses a forehand, sending the ball long. Two set points are given to Shelton. The frustration erupts. The Russian cannot contain his anger: he violently throws his racket.

Immediately, Frances Tiafoe and captain John McEnroe demand disqualification. The umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, intervenes. He gives Medvedev a warning. Why not worse? Because the racket did not hit anyone. The gesture, although dangerous, therefore did not cross the threshold for disqualification.

Despite this tense moment, Medvedev wins the tie-break of the first set. But victory eludes him thereafter: Shelton comes back, wins the second set 7-5, and then prevails in the super tie-break (10-7). Final score: 6-7(6), 7-5, 10-7.

After the match, Medvedev does not hide his regret. "I didn't mean to throw the racket like I did... I just wanted to throw it to a place, not like that. It was horrible on my part. I was lucky, I didn't hit anyone. When you don't hit anyone, you aren't disqualified. But I shouldn't do that."