Boris Becker Urges Daniil Medvedev to Get Professional Help After Meltdown at US Open

Former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev has suffered a first-round exit at the US Open for the second time in his career.

Boris Becker Urges Daniil Medvedev to Get Professional Help After Meltdown at US Open

Daniil Medvedev, Boris Becker (Image via X/Front Office Sports, Jose Moron)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the US Open, and he needed only one match to make headlines all over the world. The Russian ace locked horns with France’s Benjamin Bonzi in the first round on Sunday (August 24), and at first, he was on the cusp of defeat as Bonzi had a 2-0 lead.

A photographer inadvertently interrupted the match when he walked onto the court in order to change his position. He was later escorted by the security, and his credentials for the tournament have also been revoked.

Bonzi was serving for the match when the cameraman interrupted. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded the Frenchman another first serve, and this angered Medvedev, who argued with him and also asked the New York crowd to boo loudly, which they did for six minutes.

The 2021 US Open champion, with the help of the crowd, turned the tables to win that set as well as the next one by bageling the World No.51. The former World No.1, however, couldn’t capitalize on his momentum and lost the fifth set.

At the end of the second set, Medvedev also made a bizarre gesture after conceding a break to his opponent. Medvedev was still angry after the match as he violently banged his racket multiple times and destroyed it. Boris Becker has now reacted to the clip of Medvedev breaking his racket. He wrote on X:

We call this “public meltdown”… I think he needs professional help ?!?

Check out his post here:

Medvedev is not at all enjoying a good form this season, as he played in a semifinal only three times: at the Open 13, the Indian Wells Masters, and at the Halle Open. In Halle, he progressed to the final but couldn’t go past Alexander Bublik.

He, in fact, last clinched a title at the 2023 Italian Open (also his first on clay). And since then, he has played six finals, losing all, including at the 2023 US Open (to Novak Djokovic) and in last year’s Australian Open (to Jannik Sinner).

This season in the Majors, Medvedev somehow reached the second round at the Australian Open, but in the rest three Majors, he suffered first-round exits. He now trails 0-3 in the head-to-head matchups against Bonzi. All three matches were the first rounds of Grand Slam events.

Andy Roddick on Daniil Medvedev’s outburst at the US Open

Andy Roddick liked seeing Daniil Medvedev lose his cool at the US Open. On his Served podcast, the 2003 US Open champion said he expected a ‘Medi magic’ in the game when the World No.13 bageled Benjamin Bonzi.

Daniil Medvedev (via X/Wimbledon)
Daniil Medvedev (via X/Wimbledon)

Medvedev has beaten everyone on earth, for a long time, except Bonzi. Can’t beat Bonzi. Medvedev lost it in the fifth. I like it when people lose it. I generally tend not to change the channel when people lose it. But he lost in five, and he’s got some searching to do in a place that he hasn’t been in, you know, seven or eight years.

Medvedev has played three finals at Flushing Meadows. In 2019, Rafael Nadal overcame him in five sets. Novak Djokovic lost in straight sets to Medvedev in the 2021 US Open final. The 24-time Grand Slam champion avenged his defeat with a straight-set win at the 2023 US Open.

Medvedev is next expected to feature at the China Open, which is scheduled to start on September 23. Bonzi will be hoping to go deep in a Major for the first time. He has never advanced to the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament. His second-round opponent is America’s Marcos Giron, who overcame Mariano Navone in the previous round.

Also read: Petra Kvitova Reflects on the Proudest Moments of her Illustrious Career After her Retirement at the US Open