© Geoff Burke/Imagn
The 2025 U.S. Open got underway on Sunday at famed Flushing Meadows, and the first day of competition ended with bizarre scenes thanks to 2021 men’s champion Daniil Medvedev.
Medvedev hasn’t been able to win another grand slam since winning the 2021 U.S. Open, but he remains one of the top players in the world. The 29-year-old Russian is ranked No. 13 in the latest ATP Rankings and, likewise, entered the tournament as the No. 13 seed.
But Medvedev quickly found himself in trouble after dropping the first two sets of his opening-round match against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.
In the third set, Bonzi took a 5-4 lead with the chance to serve for the match. That’s where things got crazy.
INSANE scenes in the Medvedev & Bonzi match at US Open
A cameraman was trying to leave after Bonzi missed his 1st serve.
The umpire gave Bonzi a 1st serve.
Daniil: “Are you a man? Are you a man? why are you shaking? What’s wrong huh? Guys he wants to leave. He gets paid by… pic.twitter.com/nzlqgoWxre
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025
Daniil Medvedev Goes Off On U.S. Open Chair Umpire After Strange Delay
Bonzi took a late advantage in the potential final game and was serving for match point. After Bonzi missed his first serve, a photographer assigned to the match began to pack up his equipment and leave the court.
However, the match was still ongoing, so Bonzi waited for the photographer to get off the court before delivering his second serve. The delay took so long that chair umpire Greg Allensworth granted Bonzi another first serve “because of the delay caused by an outside interference.”
This set Medvedev off. He quickly approached the chair and loudly voiced his concerns, saying that Allensworth got paid by the match, not by the hour, with the insinuation that he wanted Bonzi to finish off the win ASAP.
He also yelled, “What did Reilly Opelka say?!” while urging the fans to boo louder and louder, a request which they quickly obliged.
Reilly Opelka Has Beef With Greg Allensworth, Too
Opelka, an American who’s ranked No. 67 in the world, called Allensworth the “worst ref on the ATP” in February after a controversial call.
“He’s real bad. He almost changed the outcome of that match just because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. He got emotional when we were arguing,” Opelka said at the time.
Daniil Medvedev Won The Set But Lost The Match Anyway
Despite facing an additional first serve, Medvedev managed to hang on to win the game and break Bonzi’s serve. He then went on to win the set and take the fourth set, 6-0.
However, Bonzi gathered himself in time to win the fifth set, 6-4, and take one of the biggest victories of his career.