Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev's US Open match brought a tremendous amount of tension on court which was definitely felt by the viewers. The tennis pro was playing against French tennis player Benjamin Bonzi, who was leading 6-3, 7-5, 5-4 when it came down to the match point in Benjamin's favor. As Benjamin was getting ready to serve for a second time, the umpire was heard saying: "Wait please. That man, get off the court please," to a photographer who was attempting to get on court for a better position to capture Benjamin's assumed victory. Check out the video below.
Due to the delay that was out of both of the opponents' control, the chair umpire Greg Allensworth granted Benjamin his first serve again, despite having already missed it before the photographer incident, which made Daniil livid. As Daniil headed to the umpire to air out his grievances, he signaled for the crowd to boo the umpire's bold move.
Daniil realized that the umpire was not changing his stance, therefore he leaned towards the videographer's camera and yelled: "He wants to go home guys. He doesn't like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour." Eventually Benjamin won the match, and Daniil went to sit on the sidelines before he aggressively smashed his racquet multiple times.
During the press conference after the match, Daniil explained that his emotional response was not towards the photographer, but rather the umpire's decision. He admitted: "I was not upset with the photographer. It was nothing special. Every time there's a sound from the stands between serves, there is never a second serve. But, well, that helped me get back into the match. It was a fun moment to live. I wasn't upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision."
As for how Benjamin viewed the unexpected situation, he shared during his press conference: "I may have got some new fans but also some new non-fans. The energy was wild. Thanks for all the ones who were booing. Thanks for the energy in the 5th." Benjamin also reflected on the game and said: "It's kind of crazy, this match. For me, it's like my best victory ever. I mean, the rule is the rule. The guy went on the court between two serves. I mean, it's not my call to say first serve."
He added: "And I think, yes, Daniil started it, and he put oil on the fire. He went crazy with the crowd. Honestly, I never saw that." A United States Tennis Association spokesperson shared that the photographer was escorted out and his credential was revoked. Daniil acknowledged that he understood he would be heavily fined for his behavior. He shared: "I'm getting a big fine enough, so if I speak, I'm in big trouble, so I'm not going to speak."