Daniil Medvedev, a Russian tennis star and world no. 3, is no stranger to controversy. From throwing coins at umpires to fighting with spectators, the rangy Russian has infuriated many officials over the years with his actions. After a spectacular run at the 2023 US Open was halted by a rampaging Novak Djokovic in the final, Medvedev has endured a comparative loss of form in the past few weeks.
After losing to Jannik Sinner in the finals of the China Open, Medvedev hit a hurdle in the middle kingdom when he was knocked out by Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. Now, while competing at the Vienna Open, he has caused yet another controversy.
Medvedev’s mishap at Vienna Open raises eyebrows
Daniil Medvedev entered the Vienna Open as the number one seed and was primed to have an extended run in Austria. Facing the Russian in the first round was Frenchman Arthur Fils, who despite a promising show at the recently concluded Laver Cup, was not looked on as the favorite.
Medvedev fulfilled fans’ expectations of him by winning 6-4, 6-2 on a cool, winter evening. However, the match was not without its controversies.
In the second set, Arthur served an ace down the middle that Medvedev couldn’t reach. The ball zipped past Medvedev, rebounded off the backboard, and then, as it sprung back to him, Medvedev smacked the ball into the stands, hitting a spectator in the face.
Medvedev immediately apologized to the spectator and received only a warning. The leniency shown to the Russian, however, outraged Novak Djokovic supporters who had been involved in a comparable incident.
At the 2020 US Open, Djokovic intentionally hit a ball into the crowd, resulting in his immediate disqualification from the competition. Due to his violation of the sportsmanship rules, the match officials took this strict action.
“In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences, the US Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open,” the officials said.
With Daniil Medvedev not facing any such ban for his actions, fans of the Serbian superstar were left angered by the double standards in tennis officiation.
Daniil Medvedev beats Grigor Dimitrov in Vienna
Continuing his form after the controversy-marred victory over Arthur Fils, Daniil Medvedev defeated a spirited Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Vienna Open.
Both players acclimated to the noisy atmosphere at the Wiener Stadthalle and aimed to secure a victory on their path to the final. Early signs appeared ominous for Medvedev as Dimitrov took the lead by winning the first set. However, an improved performance in the next two sets allowed Medvedev to clinch the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in his favor, though not without breaking into a nervous sweat.
“It was a great match,” said Medvedev in his on-court interview. “He started really well and I was missing just a little bit too much.”
Daniil Medvedev is set to face number eight seed Karen Kachanov in the third round.
What are your opinions on the controversy surrounding Medvedev? Should he have been banned like Djokovic was? Let us know in the comments section below.
