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Daniil Medvedev has been handed a hefty $42,500 fine by the US Open following his explosive first-round defeat to France’s Benjamin Bonzi, with the penalties eating up more than a third of his $110,000 prize money.Tournament referee Jake Garner imposed a $30,000 sanction for unsportsmanlike conduct and a further $12,500 for racket abuse after the former world No. 1’s dramatic meltdown on Louis Armstrong Stadium.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The flashpoint came late in the third set when a photographer began walking along the sideline just after Bonzi had faulted, with the Frenchman leading 5-4 and just a point away from victory. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth halted play, asked the photographer to leave, and controversially awarded Bonzi another first serve.Medvedev reacted furiously, storming to the umpire’s chair to argue as boos rang around the arena. The Russian then turned his frustration towards the crowd and the umpire, shouting into on-court microphones: “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”
Play was delayed for more than six minutes as tensions escalated. Medvedev eventually harnessed the energy to claw back, winning the third-set tiebreak and sweeping the fourth 6-0. But Bonzi regrouped to claim a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 triumph.When the match ended, Medvedev vented his anger again, smashing his racket repeatedly against his chair until it shattered — an act that triggered the additional fine.For the 2021 US Open champion, the defeat marked a third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam, following early losses at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.
