LATE NIGHT DRAMA AS BIZZARE SCENES UNFOLD DURING DANIIL MEDVEDEV'S US OPEN MATCH

Medvedev loses his cool: this was the show he put on at the US Open. Photo: Getty

The opening night session of the US Open 2025 at Flushing Meadows turned into pure chaos as Daniil Medvedev staged a dramatic comeback in the third set, against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, in a match that had everything—frustration, controversy, and even an unprecedented court invasion.

Bonzi came out firing, stunning the Russian top seed by taking the first two sets 6-3, 7-5. For Medvedev, who had already suffered a shocking first-round exit at this year’s French Open against Cameron Norrie, the prospect of another early Grand Slam disaster loomed large. For the first time in his career, he was staring at a first-round loss in New York.

Known for his raw emotions, Medvedev let his frustrations spill over throughout the night. At one point, he openly mocked Bonzi’s fist-pump celebrations, clearly trying to rattle his opponent while venting his own pent-up anger. For the Russian, the night session in New York has often been a stage of high octane drama—and this match was no different.

But the most bizarre twist came on match point for Bonzi. Just as the Frenchman prepared to serve, a photographer infiltrated the court in an unprecedented interruption. The incident forced the chair umpire to replay the point, awarding Bonzi a first serve back—a decision that sent Medvedev into an absolute meltdown.

The Russian’s protests fueled the already electric atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. For over six long minutes, the match was halted as the crowd erupted in chants of “second serve!” and relentlessly booed, refusing to calm down.

When play finally resumed, the chaos seemed to weigh heavily on Bonzi. Distracted and rattled, he dropped the next two points, handing Medvedev a crucial break opportunity. Sensing his chance, the former US Open champion pounced, breaking serve to stay alive and flipping the momentum at the brink of defeat.

Medevedev dragged the match into a tie-breaker to stay afloat in the first round match, and secured two set points in a dramatic turnaround. Medevedev converted his second one and took the third set to keep his chances alive. Even fellow tennis players Taylor Fritz and Genie Bouchard took to twitter to voice their emotions.

And Taylor Fritz turned out to be right, as Medvedev breezed through the fourth set 6-0, as Bonzi struggled physically and mentally to stay in the match. He called for the physio to attend to his knee, and the focused and zoned in player that he was for the first two and a half sets, quickly crumbled under the lights.

- Vivek Devane