NEW YORK — In a stunning second-round upset that will be remembered more for its bizarre mid-match disruption than its final result, world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the US Open, defeated by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in a five-set thriller that saw the Russian’s championship composure completely unravel.
The match, played under the blistering afternoon sun on the Grandstand court, was turned on its head in the third set when a photographer, attempting to capture a shot, unexpectedly walked onto the court during a point. The intrusion sent Medvedev into a spiraling meltdown from which he never fully recovered, ultimately falling to the 89th-ranked Bonzi 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6.
A Match of Two Halves
The contest began predictably, with the 2021 champion Medvedev looking in commanding form. After dropping the first set, he blitzed through the second, his powerful, flat groundstrokes and relentless defensive retrieving proving too much for Bonzi to handle. He appeared to be cruising toward a routine victory, up a set and an early break in the third.
Then, the incident occurred. With Medvedev leading 2-1 and 30-15 on Bonzi’s serve in the third set, a tournament photographer, misjudging the flow of the point, stepped onto the court near the baseline. The point was immediately stopped by the chair umpire, but the damage was done.
The Meltdown That Changed Everything
Medvedev’s reaction was instantaneous and volcanic. He began a lengthy, furious tirade directed at the chair umpire, Alison Hughes, demanding to know why such a breach of protocol was allowed to happen. "Why is he on the court? Why? During a point! What is this? This is a Grand Slam! What are you doing?" he screamed, his voice echoing around the court.
The argument consumed several minutes, completely sapping Medvedev’s momentum and focus. When play resumed, he was a different player. His first serve percentage plummeted, his unforced error count skyrocketed, and his on-court demeanor shifted from focused intensity to visible frustration and negativity.
Bonzi, to his immense credit, remained the picture of calm. Seizing the opportunity, he began to dictate play with his heavy forehand, breaking Medvedev’s serve immediately after the restart and ultimately running away with the third set 6-2. The momentum had irrevocably shifted.
Bonzi Seizes the Moment
The fourth set was a tense, cagey affair. Medvedev managed to regroup slightly, finding enough of his best tennis to take the set 6-3 and force a decider. However, the psychological scars from the third-set incident were clearly still present. Bonzi, playing the match of his life and feeding off the energy of the crowd, refused to fade.
In the fifth set, the Frenchman’s belief grew with every game. He broke Medvedev’s serve early and never looked back, serving out the match to love and collapsing to the court in disbelief after converting his first match point. The victory marked the biggest win of his career by ranking and his first ever over a top-5 player.
In his post-match press conference, a subdued Medvedev did not shy away from admitting the incident was the turning point. "For sure, it changed the momentum," he stated. "I got crazy... I lost concentration. After that, I started to play much worse. Benjamin started to play better. That's how tennis works. It's a game of small details."
The Aftermath and Analysis
The loss marks a shocking early exit for Medvedev, who was considered one of the prime contenders for the title, especially in the absence of Novak Djokovic. For Bonzi, it is a career-defining victory that propels him into the third round of a major for the first time.
Tennis analysts were quick to dissect the meltdown, noting that while the photographer’s error was unprofessional, Medvedev’s inability to regain his composure was ultimately his own undoing. The incident highlights the fragile mental state required to compete at the highest level and how quickly a match can turn on a single moment of controversy.
The tournament organizers released a brief statement following the match, acknowledging the incident: "We are aware of the on-court disturbance during the Medvedev-Bonzi match. We are reviewing the protocol with our security and photo teams to ensure it is not repeated."
For the victorious Bonzi, the win was a testament to mental fortitude. "I just tried to stay focused on my game," he said. "It was a strange moment for everyone. I saw he was very upset, so I told myself to be calm, to breathe, and to just play my tennis point by point. It is incredible to win like this."
The match serves as a stark reminder of the fine margins in professional sport. Medvedev’s loss, triggered by a momentary lapse in court security and a subsequent loss of emotional control, opens up the bottom half of the draw and provides a cautionary tale for every remaining contender about the importance of maintaining focus amidst the chaos of a major tournament.