Daniil Medvedev’s on-court antics and outbursts have been a hot topic in the tennis world for some time. Recently, former American tennis player Steve Johnson stated that Medvedev’s behavior had earned him a spot on his Christmas “naughty list.”
This past year, Medvedev had several angry outbursts on the court that resulted in significant fines at the Australian Open and the US Open.
Steve Johnson Says Daniil Medvedev’s On-Court Antics Put Him on Christmas ‘Naughty List’
Recently, while speaking on the “Nothing Major Show” podcast, Johnson was asked by his co-host, Sam Querrey, to name an ATP player who would be on his Christmas “naughty list.” Johnson pointed to Medvedev, citing his angry outbursts this year as the reason.
Johnson referred specifically to Medvedev’s behavior at the 2025 Australian Open, US Open, and China Open, mentioning that accumulating hefty fines was not a good look for the player.
“It’s gonna be [Daniil] Medvedev, not for his off-court antics, but his on-court antics. You rack up a couple of hundred thousand dollars’ worth of fines across the year, you’re on the naughty list. Australia had a big one. China Open had a big one. The US Open had a big one,” Johnson said.
At the 2025 Australian Open, Medvedev was fined a total of $76,000 for his outbursts during the first two rounds. In his first-round match, he destroyed a small camera hanging in the net by hitting it with his racket. In the second round, he kicked his racket toward the advertising panel near his bench, hit a ball against the back wall, toppled a camera behind the baseline, and punched his racket bag.
At the US Open, Medvedev was fined $42,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct, which included shouting at chair umpire Greg Allensworth and smashing his racket at the end of his first-round match.
During the China Open, Medvedev, who was cramping during his semifinal match against Learner Tien, received a code violation from chair umpire Adel Nour for not giving his “best effort” during the match. This triggered an outburst from the former World No. 1, who accused Nour of trying to “intimidate” him. However, he did not receive a fine for this particular incident.
Medvedev To Begin 2026 Season at Brisbane International
Looking ahead, Medvedev will start his 2026 season at the Brisbane International, which is set to take place from January 4 to January 11, 2026. The matches of the tournament will be held on outdoor hard courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Australia.
In addition to Medvedev, players such as defending champion Jiří Lehečka, Frances Tiafoe, Grigor Dimitrov, Valentin Vacherot, Denis Shapovalov, Learner Tien, and João Fonseca, among others, will compete at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane.
“Playing Brisbane is a great way to start the year. Preparing for the Australian Open is important and having a tournament where I can prepare in the right way is important. I always love coming to Australia and really look forward to seeing everyone out in Brisbane,” Medvedev said.
Medvedev last participated in the Brisbane International in 2019. He was seeded fourth at the tournament and began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He defeated Andy Murray, Milos Raonic, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the final. There, he lost to Kei Nishikori and finished as the runner-up.
