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Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev suffered a shocking first-round exit at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, losing to France’s Benjamin Bonzi in a dramatic five-set encounter that ended in emotional and physical collapse for the Russian.
Medvedev, the 2021 champion, was ousted 3-6, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-0, 4-6 in a match that lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes. His frustration boiled over after the defeat, as he smashed his racket into pieces, leaving it in tatters near his bench.
Background behind this racket smashing from @Seth_Kaplan.
Not sure if I’ve ever seen this. Medvedev is not happy… https://t.co/k1S6xHrgTL pic.twitter.com/Ax8DHm8qI8
— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) August 25, 2025
The encounter was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Bonzi seized the early advantage, taking the first two sets with steady, disciplined tennis. Medvedev, however, launched a spirited comeback in the third, saving a match point before edging out the tiebreak. The Russian then steamrolled a shell-shocked Bonzi in the fourth set, delivering a rare bagel to level the match.
But the final set saw the momentum swing once again. Bonzi regrouped mentally and physically, finding his rhythm at the right time to close out the contest 6-4, handing Medvedev his third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam this season.
Medvedev’s only win at a major in 2025 came at the Australian Open, where he was ousted in the second round by Learner Tien, also in five sets. The early exit at the US Open compounds what has been a frustrating season for the former world number one.
The contest wasn’t without controversy. During a critical moment in the third set, Bonzi was serving for the match when a photographer accidentally entered the playing area during his first serve. The umpire ruled the point as external interference and permitted a first-serve replay. The decision enraged Medvedev, who demanded that Bonzi be forced to serve a second ball instead. His heated protest triggered jeers from the crowd and turned the atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium tense and volatile.
Play was halted for nearly 10 minutes as boos rang out, with Bonzi caught in the crossfire of crowd frustration despite having no role in the incident. Visibly shaken, the Frenchman lost both his serve and his composure, eventually dropping the third and fourth sets.
However, Bonzi managed to collect himself in time for the decider, raising his level and capitalising on Medvedev’s mounting errors to seal the biggest win of his career.
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