Watching Medvedev’s matches is highly captivating, and indeed essential, while the press holds him in high regard for his fascinating, thoughtful, and witty post-match press conferences once the action concludes.
However, he has frequently crossed the line during play, repeatedly targeting the chair umpires with his outbursts.
During the 2017 Wimbledon tournament, the then 21-year-old Russian became so infuriated by referee Mariana Alves’s rulings during his second-round encounter that he threw coins near her feet as she descended from her high chair.
He subsequently expressed regret and insisted that his actions were not intended to question her impartiality.
Two seasons prior, once more at the All England Club, organizers seemed on the verge of disqualifying him following a heated tirade directed at official Eva Asderaki-Moore.
Medvedev argued that his remarks, spoken in Russian, were “offensive but did not breach regulations”—and following consultations among the umpire, supervisor, and referee, he was let off with merely a warning for unsporting behavior.
His antics at the 2025 Australian Open, which featured an attempt to wreck a camera attached to the net, cost him in excess of £60,000 in penalties, and he suffered another notorious outburst later that season at Flushing Meadows.
Amidst a chaotic evening session in New York, Benjamin Bonzi held a match point to secure a straight-sets victory over Medvedev in their opening-round clash when a photographer bizarrely wandered onto the playing surface right between the player’s serves.
The delay prompted official Greg Allensworth to grant the French player a first serve replay, which triggered an angry reaction from Medvedev.
He alleged that Allensworth wanted to wrap up the contest quickly because his compensation was calculated per match instead of per hour, leading to a disruption lasting more than five minutes while Medvedev incited the spectators.
Although he managed to fend off that match point, he eventually succumbed in a five-set battle, after which he completely demolished his racket by slamming it over and over against the court-side table.
