Daniil Medvedev faced a challenging four-set battle against Christopher O’Connell in the second round of the US Open, with the world No. 3 eventually securing a 6-2 6-2 6-7 6-2 victory.
Despite his triumph, Medvedev was visibly annoyed by the crowd’s antics throughout the match.
The Russian tennis player engaged in a heated exchange with two fans who were taking their seats as he was preparing to serve, asking them in a confrontational tone, “Are you stupid or what?”.
The situation further escalated when one of the fans blew a kiss in Medvedev’s direction, prompting him to tell them to “shut up” directly.
Medvedev had looked to be cruising to a straight-sets victory after taking a 4-2 lead in the third set, but he failed to maintain his momentum, allowing O’Connell to level the set at 4-4.
Despite having two match points in the resulting tie-break, Medvedev was unable to capitalize, leading to a fourth set.
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The Russian ultimately clinched the match by winning the fourth set 6-2 in just over 45 minutes, but his mood remained sour even after the final point.
This is not the first time that Medvedev has courted controversy at Flushing Meadows.
In 2017, he had a heated exchange with Feliciano Lopez, where he received a code violation for yanking a towel from a ball person’s hands and throwing his racket at the chair umpire.
Medvedev also made an obscene gesture by flashing his middle finger, which further incensed the crowd.
After that match, he thanked the crowd for their energy and claimed that their support was the reason for his victory.
Medvedev’s next opponent is Sebastian Baez from Argentina.
