Daniil Medvedev returned to one of his favorite stages, hoping to avenge his Wimbledon loss to Benjamin Bonzi, but the 29-year-old stunned him again in the US Open first round, delivering one of Day 1’s biggest upsets. As tension mounted, the match unraveled in a chaotic finish when a photographer walked onto the court, triggering Medvedev’s outburst and earning him a substantial fine. Now, two months later, Medvedev reflects on his US Open breakdown with a clearer lens, revisiting a night that blended frustration, shock, and the sting of déjà vu on a stage where he long believed he thrived.

Medvedev revisited the flashpoint on the podcast with Bolshe Tennis’ Sofya Tartakova, stressing that his anger never targeted Benjamin Bonzi but the timing of the umpire’s decision. With Bonzi firmly in control after taking the first two sets 6-3 and 7-5, the match seemed destined to end swiftly. Yet the disruption caused by a photographer stepping onto the court, and the umpire’s response, ignited a firestorm that shifted momentum in unexpected ways.

“Bonzi had nothing to do with it; it was the umpire,” he said. Medvedev even noted that similar interruptions occur frequently on tour, but this one arrived at a particularly fragile juncture. “I still think, and I’m not criticizing anyone, but I think that it wasn’t the right moment to grant him the first serve. It often happens that the crowd shouts, and the photographer was off the court very quickly. I would’ve most likely made an error off that second serve and the match would’ve been over.” 

Instead, the chaos unsettled Bonzi, allowing Medvedev to snatch the third set 7-6(5) and breathe new life into the match.

Reflecting on the incident, Medvedev admitted that the fallout “backfired against Bonzi,” even as he maintained he never encouraged the fans to turn hostile. “I didn’t hype the crowd to boo him or anything like that. Deep down I’m glad I didn’t win, because it would’ve been very ugly towards him, and I wouldn’t want that. But when I’m on the court, I try to win, so I played till the end,” he said, revealing a rare blend of competitiveness and conscience.

The price for that eruption, however, proved steep. Reports revealed that Medvedev forfeited $42,500 in fines, a striking 38.6% of the $110,000 he earned at the tournament, after the incident. 

On top of that, he absorbed a $30,000 penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for damaging his racket and other equipment, pushing the total to eye-watering territory.

Later in the same interview, he opened up about how he approached making amends after the US Open shocker, revealing a defiant but self-aware commitment to learning from the chaos while refusing to let the moment define him.

Daniil Medvedev issues apology following controversial US Open incident

The Russian No. 13 seed’s showdown with Benjamin Bonzi spiraled into chaos at match point when a cameraperson unexpectedly ran onto the court between Bonzi’s first and second serves. Umpire Greg Allensworth opted to grant Bonzi a fresh 1st serve because of the disruption, a decision that lit the fuse for Medvedev’s fury.

Medvedev marched straight to the umpire’s chair, accusing Allensworth of rushing the match by saying he “wanted to leave” because he gets “paid by the match, not by the hour.” Moments later, he turned toward the camera and shouted, “Reilly Opelka was right!” and “What did Reilly Opelka say?”

His remarks referenced Opelka’s February criticism of Allensworth, when the American argued, “The guy (Allensworth) shouldn’t have a job or should be sidelined for about four weeks, maybe learn a thing or two,” after receiving a code violation at the Dallas Open.

However, recently, during the same interview with Sofya Tartakova, Medvedev revealed that he had issued private apologies to those he believed he had genuinely wronged during the explosive first-round drama. He avoided specifying names, choosing instead to keep those conversations personal.

“At US Open it was too much.. the whole situation.. I just knew that all the people who I think I had to apologize to for my behavior, I apologized to them. I won’t say who exactly it was. But I’m not one of those people who think I should apologize to the whole world,” Daniil Medvedev said.

With the incident now behind him and the off-season underway, Medvedev turns toward 2026, a year that may prove pivotal after a disastrous 2025 Grand Slam campaign.