In one of the craziest, most intense matches of the 2025 US Open, Daniil Medvedev (World No. 13) and Benjamin Bonzi (World No. 51) put on a show that was part tennis, part straight-up drama. What started as a regular first-round match quickly blew up—thanks to a random court crash, a fired-up Medvedev, and a crowd that got totally caught up in the chaos. Bonzi finally opened up about Medvedev totally losing it.

Well, Daniil Medvedev sparked utter chaos in the first round of the 2025 US Open against Benjamin Bonzi. Just when Bonzi was serving for the match point, a photographer accidentally stepped onto the court, after which umpire Greg Allensworth had to award Bonzi a first serve replay. But that moment made Medvedev immediately furious as he stormed the chair, yelling into the microphone that Allensworth  “wants to go home” because he’s “paid by the match, not by the hour,” riling up the crowd. To the seasoned tennis connoisseur, it was almost a flashback to his questionable outburst against chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore during last year’s Wimbledon semifinal.

The deafening roar forced a visibly nervous Bonzi to pause before serving. Despite this, Medvedev battled back to win the third set in a tiebreaker, forcing a fourth. Initially “visibly upset,” he then rebounded like a champion. Over time, Medvedev has made a habit of pushing crowds and officials—grabbing towels, arguing calls, and making gestures that led to fines—yet he often turns tension into momentum. But in the end, it was Benjamin Bonzi who came out on top. And talking about his calm in that chaos, Bonzi said, “I never experienced something like that. I don’t know. Maybe we waited 5 minutes before the match point. Then it was so difficult to play. So noisy. All the time during the points, between the points… it was a very wild atmosphere. I tried to stay calm, stay in the match. It was not easy. At the end, I gave all my heart on the court and I have the win today.”

Despite battling through a tense five-setter, Medvedev faltered in the end. Bonzi recovered to clinch the match 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, resulting in a stunning early defeat for Medvedev. While the photographer was swiftly moved out of the match and lost his credentials, the key highlight was Medvedev’s passionate nature, capable of captivating the crowd and delivering a memorable performance, regardless of the final score.

Daniil Medvedev’s racket feels the wrath

Daniil Medvedev’s 2025 season has been nothing short of brutal. For a player who once looked like Novak Djokovic’s biggest rival on hard courts, crashing out early at every Grand Slam was a shocker. At the Australian Open, he was stunned by qualifier Learner Tien in a five-set dogfight, a loss that set the tone for the rest of his year. Roland Garros didn’t treat him any better, as it handed him a first-round exit at the hands of lower-ranked opponent Cameron Norrie. By the time the US Open rolled around, the former World No. 1 wasn’t even in the Top 10 anymore, slipping all the way to No.13 with a pedestrian 27–17 match record and no titles since 2023.

That US Open loss to Bonzi had him lose his mind, though. Medvedev came in as a favorite to make a deep run, maybe even challenge for the crown, only to get bounced in the opening round. After getting smacked by Bonzi, who, in fact, was the one who knocked him out of Wimbledon in the first round, the frustration boiled over in ugly fashion—he repeatedly smashed his racket until it was bent and broken beyond recognition.

The reality is tough: Medvedev’s stock is slipping fast. Fans who once backed him as the next big threat are now questioning if he’s lost his edge. Smashing rackets is one thing, but the numbers paint a clearer picture—he hasn’t won a title in nearly two years, and his aura of consistency is gone. Unless he can flip the script soon, 2025 might just be remembered as the year Medvedev went from contender to question mark.

That being said, the US Open is only getting started. Don’t want to miss a moment? Head to EssentiallySports’ live blog of the event.