When it comes to speaking his mind, Daniil Medvedev never holds back. The former World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion was enjoying a strong run in Shanghai, making his way to the semifinals after a much-needed resurgence this season. After defeating Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals, the World No. 18’s campaign now came to an abrupt end with a loss to No. 54 Arthur Rinderknech. But what grabbed headlines wasn’t just the loss. It was Medvedev once again losing his cool, not at his opponent, but at the chair umpire.

Just a few hours ago, user atpobsessed took to X to share a clip from the semifinal. In the video, Daniil Medvedev appears visibly frustrated as the chair umpire insists there’s nothing wrong with the shot clock. That’s when the 29-year-old fired back, saying, “It’s never the same with me, huh? With me, it’s always different. I know, I know,” during a tense exchange in the third set. So, what exactly went down between the Russian star and the umpire this time?

It all came down to the shot clock. After every point, players get a limited window to start their serve, and Medvedev wasn’t happy about how quickly that timer was ticking. He argued that the clock was running too fast just as he was about to serve, something he’s clashed over before. Sadly for him, despite an early surge that saw Daniil Medvedev take control, the Frenchman found his rhythm, storming back to flip the script and seal the win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 after a grueling 2 hours and 29 minutes on court.

After the final point, Rinderknech briefly acknowledged Medvedev before heading to his bench, while the Russian continued his heated exchange with the chair umpire. The tense scene drew mixed reactions from the Shanghai crowd, with some erupting in cheers for Rinderknech’s breakthrough victory, while others murmuring in disbelief at Medvedev’s visible frustration.

Ultimately, with that loss, Daniil Medvedev’s campaign in Shanghai came to an abrupt end, cutting short what had looked like a promising title run. For Rinderknech, however, the win marked a career-defining milestone – his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 final. Still, for Medvedev, this wasn’t the first time he’s lost his temper with an umpire, and it likely won’t be the last.

Daniil Medvedev calls out “Crazy” chair umpire

On Wednesday, Daniil Medvedev’s serve turned into his biggest weapon against rising star Learner Tien, helping him survive fierce rallies with surgical precision. The highlight of the match came in a breathtaking 29-shot rally during the first-set tiebreak. Every strike drew gasps from the Shanghai crowd, who could feel the intensity pulsing through the court. But the tension boiled over soon after.

During a changeover, Medvedev erupted in frustration following yet another code violation for slow play. Visibly fuming, he lashed out at the chair umpire, saying, “All my life, I’ve been serving and waiting for Rafa for 55 seconds. And you give me a code violation on the first occasion. I played Rafa five times. There was not one time I was ready to serve and he was ready to return. He didn’t get one time violation.”

Moreover, with Shanghai’s scorching temperatures already testing players’ limits, the heat only added fuel to Medvedev’s frustration. The Russian continued his tirade, snapping, “All my life I’m the first one to serve first and wait on the returner every second of my f—ing life. So stupid, you guys are crazy, like you’re absolutely nuts.”

Later, as a fan posted the clip online, tennis journalist Pavvy G chimed in with his take. “Players are finally speaking up and have clearly had enough of the blatant double standards and how some players are treated more favorably than others,” he wrote. “Huge respect to Medvedev for calling it as it is, more and more players are finally starting to speak up. Tennis is corrupt.”

That said, do you think Daniil Medvedev was justified in calling out the chair umpire, or did his emotions get the best of him?