Former World No. 1 and former champion Daniil Medvedev was eliminated in Round 1 of the US Open 2025 by an energized Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.
However, Medvedev’s woes are unlikely to end there, as he is likely to be fined following a wild outburst during the match. At the end of the five-set slugfest against Bondi, Medvedev elaborated on what happened while making some shocking claims about being fined more by tennis authorities than other players.
Daniil Medvedev Had Shocking Argument With Referee After Photographer’s Mistake
Medvedev was furious when American official Greg Allensworth awarded Benjamin Bonzi a first serve when a photographer walked on court after the Frenchman had missed his first serve. Notably, the incident occurred while Bonzi served for the match in the third set.
Medvedev immediately confronted the referee, accusing him of wanting to wrap the match up early. When he was unable to make the referee change his decision, Medvedev yelled, “What did Reilly Opelka say?”
He was referencing an earlier incident when Opelka branded Allensworth as the “worst ref on the ATP” at the Dallas Open in February. Opelka made the remark after he was hit with a code violation and point penalty for obscenities.
😱Medvedev en parlant bien près du micro : “Il (l’arbitre) veut rentrer chez lui. Il n’aime pas être ici. Il est payé au match pas à l’heure. […] Qu’avait dit Reilly Opelka ? QU’AVAIT DIT REILLY OPELKA ?”pic.twitter.com/U7nuaYmAPD
— Tennis Legend (@TennisLegende) August 25, 2025
Although Medvedev managed to win the set and prolong the match, he eventually lost 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, (5-7), 0-6, 6-4.
Daniil Medvedev Has Made Shocking Allegations in His Post-match Press Conference
Medvedev spoke candidly to the media about the incident at the end of the match, revealing that he is likely to be fined heftily for his outburst.
When asked about the comment referencing Opelka, Medvedev avoided elaborating, saying, “I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak I’m in big trouble so I’m not gonna speak. Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I said Reilly. Reilly got fined big time for this so I’m gonna get a big fine too.”
Daniil Medvedev says he’s receiving a fine after his US Open match against Bonzi
“You referenced Reilly. Why did you do that?”
Daniil: “I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak I’m in big trouble so I’m not gonna speak. Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I said… pic.twitter.com/PKlFJTjKPq
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025
Asked how much he expected to be fined, the former world No. 1 claimed that some players, such as him, are fined “more than the other guys.”
He said, “I have no idea they fine guys like me much more than other guys. (Nick) Kyrgios, me, (Alexander) Bublik, who else? Reilly. Even if Reilly’s a nice guy and they fine him just because they don’t like him.”
The 29-year-old Russian is no stranger to being fined large amounts for disorderly conduct. Earlier this year, he was fined a total of $76,000 for his camera and racket-smashing outbursts during the first two rounds of the Australian Open.
