When Daniil Medvedev landed in Indian Wells, his trip from Dubai had already been pretty chaotic. And now, things haven’t gotten any smoother. After arriving in Miami, he realized none of his bags showed up. Following this, the 2021 US Open champion didn’t hold back and called out the airline for the mess.

The 30-year-old recently made a public plea to United Airlines on X after facing a travel issue. The former Grand Slam champion revealed that his luggage had gone missing during his journey. “Hi @united…need a little help,” he wrote on X on Tuesday. “Flew from PSP to Florida yesterday, and none of my bags arrived. Kind of need them to play in the @MiamiOpen….can you help?”

The World No. 10 was preparing to compete at the Miami Open, making the situation more urgent. Without his gear, his preparation was affected. United Airlines responded quickly to his post. However, the reply was generic and did not directly address his situation in a meaningful way.

Medvedev was clearly unimpressed with the response. “The amount of AI help has been overwhelming,” he replied, adding facepalm and shrugging emojis.

His reaction drew humorous responses from fans online. Many joined in, poking fun at the airline’s standard reply.

The timing couldn’t be worse either. Medvedev is set to kick off his campaign in the round of 64 on Friday, that left him with barely any time to adjust.

But soon after, there was a bit of relief. The airline finally made some progress, and Medvedev updated his followers once his bags were located. Still, it was cutting it close, had they not arrived in time, he could’ve ended up stepping onto the court without his usual gear.

“Ok, little update. My bags have now arrived. Thank you @united. But can we please also make sure the people on my team get their bags🤔🤷‍♂️🙏”

A day later, the situation fully improved, as his team members finally received their luggage as well.

“Even my trainer got his bags now!!! Forza. Let’s work on getting ready for @MiamiOpen now!!!”

This incident adds to a recent run of travel troubles for Medvedev. Despite his strong form on court, things off the court have not gone as smoothly.

After winning an ATP 500 title in Dubai, he faced another major disruption. Medvedev and several others were stranded due to rising conflict in the region. The situation involved tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. It delayed their travel plans to Indian Wells.

Eventually, the group managed to leave by traveling from Dubai to Oman. From there, they boarded a special flight to reach the BNP Paribas Open.

Medvedev’s experience is not an isolated case. Several other players have also dealt with similar luggage issues in recent years.

Naomi Osaka faced trouble as United Airlines lost her bags

In 2024, Naomi Osaka faced a major travel issue. She arrived in Cincinnati but could not find her luggage. The airline had lost her bags, creating a serious problem. It was the same United Airlines involved in Daniil Medvedev’s recent case.

The situation put her participation in the Cincinnati Open at risk. Without her equipment, playing was almost impossible. “Lol @united lost my bags, and if I don’t get them tonight or tomorrow I literally can’t play (in the Cincinnati Open),” Osaka posted on X.

United Airlines responded quickly to her message. Their official account promised to assist her in resolving the issue. “Please send us a DM so we can finalize the plan to reunite you with your baggage,” they wrote.

A couple of hours later, they confirmed the bags had been found.

In the end, things worked out just in time. Osaka got her luggage back and didn’t have to worry about missing the tournament.

Interestingly, a similar situation happened to Alexander Zverev last year when he traveled to Buenos Aires for the Argentina Open.

However, his bags did not arrive with him. Instead, they were mistakenly sent to the Maldives, thousands of miles away.

Zverev reacted strongly but kept a sense of humor.

“Could anyone explain to me how on earth it is possible for me to fly from Rome to Buenos Aires but my bags instead of coming with me being sent to the Maldives? I guess they need a vacation already.”

Tournament officials gave him extra time to recover his luggage. This helped him manage the situation without missing the event.

During the Australian swing the same year, Olivia Nicholls also faced trouble. Nicholls was flying from Sydney to Hobart. She was charged a fee to check in her racket bag. When she collected her luggage, she found it badly damaged. Her rackets and bag were completely destroyed.

“160AUD to check in because I’m not allowed to take it as carry on, and you deliver my bag like this? How is this possible. My bag and rackets are totally destroyed”, she wrote on X.

These incidents show a growing problem for players. Travel issues are now affecting preparation before important tournaments.

With cases like Osaka, Zverev, Nicholls, and Medvedev, the concern is clear. Airlines need to handle players’ equipment with greater care.