‘Typical Medvedev.’
That was the thought that went through my head as I caught up on the extraordinary scenes at yesterday’s US Open tennis.
It was like nothing I’d ever seen on a court, and yet I was entirely unsurprised — simply because of who was involved.
If you haven’t seen it – a recap. In a first round match at the final Grand Slam of the year, Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi (ranked 51st in the world) reached match point in three sets against world number 13 and former champion Daniil Medvedev.
Then the unthinkable happened: between his first and second serves, a photographer, intent on getting into a better position, walked onto court.
Umpire Greg Allensworth immediately shouted at the man to move away, and awarded Bonzi another first serve.
His decision was based on the rule that a significant interruption between first and second serves is likely to disrupt the server’s rhythm. But it was Medvedev’s reaction to the incident that brought the match to a standstill.
After berating the umpire, he encouraged the crowd, already willing participants in the drama, to boo. Watching, I was shocked to see that the delay was over six minutes. Eventually, it was quiet enough for Bonzi to attempt to serve again — at which point his concentration had clearly been lost.
The tennis scoring system means that one point can change the whole trajectory of a match. And in this case it did: Medvedev went on to win sets three and four, and lost by only one break of serve (6-4) in the decider. Bonzi got his win, but far later than he could and should have.
There is often talk by some commentators about the desire for more personality in the tennis world.
It seems there’s a desire for drama that causes spectators to hark back fondly to the behaviour of John McEnroe, or laud Nike Kyrgios’ pantomime antics.
And maybe the game does need more verve.
But personality does not, and should not be, about displaying bad behaviour.
Drama in tennis should be about the playing, not the players.
And when certain players rile up a crowd, there is a sense that they are able to use it as motivation – Djokovic, for example.
Medvedev, by contrast (and despite making somewhat of a comeback last night) appears to aspire to controversy as little more than compensation for a fall in performance levels.
Honestly, it was shocking to watch.
The vitriol of Medvedev’s words to the umpire – ‘Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking?’ – felt to me like it was straight out of the toxic masculinity playbook.
The 2021 US Open champion’s smirk, even when he made half-hearted attempts, several minutes in, to quieten the crowd, made clear his grim satisfaction with the situation.
And his post-match interview, where he described the frenzy as ‘fun to witness’ shows his true character more than he should wish.
This was not one player losing it in a rare fit of frustration, as Jack Draper did at the Queen’s semi-final in June when he took aim at an advertising screen.
It is the habit of a man who has been known to smash a racquet on more than one occasion.
Frankly it felt like playground bullying towards his opponent.
The photographer has since had his US Open credentials revoked — and rightly so.
It was unquestionably an amateur move, borne of selfishness and a lack of thought.
But in life, we are faced with all kinds of setbacks. It is our response to them that truly matters – and Medvedev dealt with this setback like an angry child.
Medvedev will perhaps face repercussions; it remains to be seen if he will be fined.
But fines for a player in his financial position, and with his temperament, are neither a deterrent or sufficient punishment.
They have not worked before, and will not work this time.
Perhaps the best course of action would be to ignore his behaviour. It’s important to show where we place our principles, and although extreme, I think potential repercussions for future tantrums should include disqualification or even being banned from major tournaments.
It seems like the only way to punish someone who seems to thrive off people lavishing attention on them.
It is Benjamin Bonzi, a player ranked outside the top 50 and who has beaten the Russian in two grand slam first rounds in a row, that should be celebrated today.
But the headlines will be dominated by Medvedev — and in that sense, we’re playing right into his hands, and rewarding, rather than punishing, his pathetic and all-too common behaviour.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
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