By Shrivathsa Sridhar
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former champion Daniil Medvedev was fined a total of $42,500 by the U.S. Open on Wednesday for his spectacular meltdown during a loss to Benjamin Bonzi at the start of the week.
Medvedev lost 6-3 7-5 6-7(5) 0-6 6-4 on Sunday but it was his behaviour in the third set that dominated the headlines, when the 2021 champion launched a tirade against the umpire and whipped up jeering fans who stopped his opponent from serving.
The 13th seed was facing match point and a straight-sets loss when a photographer entered the Louis Armstrong Stadium court just as Frenchman Bonzi misfired his first serve.
The official then allowed Bonzi another first serve because of the unauthorised incursion, sparking wild scenes as Medvedev raged at the official.
Medvedev smashed his racket after the match concluded, prompting six-times Grand Slam champion Boris Becker to say that the Russian needed to seek professional help in the wake of his “public meltdown”.
While Medvedev collected $110,000 for his first-round appearance, he coughed up fines of $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $12,500 for abusing his racket, the U.S. Open said in a document listing on-site offences.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in New York; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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