João Fonseca and Hamad Medjedovic’s second-round clash at the 2026 Italian Open became a drama-filled affair as both players vented their frustrations to the chair umpire. After a closely contested battle, Medjedovic emerged victorious and used his moment of celebration to taunt the Brazilian’s passionate supporters in the crowd.
Why João Fonseca and Hamad Medjedovic Argued with the Umpire During Their Italian Open Clash
The Italian Open showdown unfolded amid a charged atmosphere, with Brazilian fans loudly backing Fonseca to win. During the tense deciding set, the 19-year-old paused play to complain to the chair umpire about Medjedovic talking before his second serve.
Fonseca is out here crashing out over Medjedovic talking to himself in between points ? Funny how he didn’t complain when the crowd was yelling during Hamad service games and where the crowd was even doing hindrance mid point pic.twitter.com/PA23IGWc7l
— Gio (@jsmove7) May 9, 2026
Before the very next game, Medjedovic approached the umpire himself and urged him to quiet the hostile crowd so he could concentrate on his serve. However, the umpire explained that, despite his attempts to manage the spectators, some level of noise was unavoidable.
“Tell them to shut up and let me serve. I’ll play,” Medjedovic said.
“Listen.. It’s gonna be loud. There’s gonna be some people talking. I’m trying my best to control them. Keep playing. You have to play,” the umpire responded.
Despite his visible frustration, Medjedovic maintained his composure and secured a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) victory to advance to the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 event. After shaking hands with Fonseca, the Serb called for the crowd’s attention and mockingly made a sleeping gesture, echoing NBA icon Steph Curry’s iconic “night night” celebration, before sarcastically blowing kisses toward the stands.
A worthy celebration 🙌
The definiton of a topsy turvy match goes the way of Hamad Medjedovic as he beats Fonseca 3-6 6-3 7-6 🔥#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/XZZ8jlgFvk
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 9, 2026
Hamad Medjedovic Credits João Fonseca’s Fans for ‘Helping a Lot’
The tension between Medjedovic and the hostile Brazilian fans lingered even after the match, with the Serb sarcastically crediting Fonseca’s supporters for helping him stay “locked in” during the crucial moments in the third set.
“The crowd helped me a lot. His fans helped me a lot. I think they were… I will not comment on it, but they helped me a lot. I think I was very, as some would say, ‘locked in’ after being down 6-5 in the 3rd. I was just quiet and wanted to give my best and that’s it. I’m really happy to be through,” he said.
Following his win over Fonseca, Medjedovic will lock horns with Mariano Navone in the third round of the Italian Open. If the Serb triumphs over Navone, he will take on the winner of the match between Martín Landaluce and Mattia Bellucci in the Round of 16.
