As Bonzi stood on the brink of victory, serving at 6-3, 7-5, 5-4, the unthinkable happened: a photographer stepped onto the court, halting play and plunging the stadium into confusion. The chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, controversially reset the point to a first serve for Bonzi. The decision sent Medvedev into a furious tirade. “Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking?” he raged, stalking the umpire’s chair. “He wants to go home, guys, he doesn’t like it here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.” The match was suspended for six agonizing minutes, as the crowd erupted in jeers and whistles, refusing to let the moment pass quietly.
According to the US Tennis Association, the photographer was promptly escorted off the court, his credentials revoked in the wake of the uproar. Yet the chaos nearly became Medvedev’s salvation. He saved match point, broke Bonzi to level the third set, and then clawed his way through a tense tiebreak to force a fourth. The Russian dominated that set, handing Bonzi a bagel, as the Frenchman took a medical timeout to tend to an apparent knee issue. Through the clamor of boos and the electric energy of the New York night, the match hurtled towards a climactic fifth set.
The decider was a dramatic tug-of-war, with Bonzi drawing on the cries of “Courage!” and “Allez!” from his supporters. Ultimately, he produced a stunning backhand to close out the match, sending Medvedev back to his seat in frustration, where he shattered his racket in defeat. “It was crazy. I may have got some new fans, but also some new non-fans,” Bonzi, ranked world No. 51, reflected after the match. “The energy was crazy. Thanks to all who were booing. Thanks for the energy.”
Medvedev, once the champion of Flushing Meadows, became the first former winner to exit this year’s tournament. It capped a dismal run at the majors for the Russian, who has managed to reach the second round only once all year. In the aftermath, Medvedev clarified his anger: “I wasn’t upset with the photographer,” he explained at his press conference. “I was upset with the decision. Every time there’s a sound from the stands between serves, there’s never a second serve. But the umpire gave him a first serve. That’s what made me angry.”
Bonzi, for his part, felt Medvedev’s behavior fanned the flames. “Daniil started it, and he put oil on the fire. He went with the crowd crazy. Honestly, I never saw that,” said the Frenchman. “The rule is the rule. The guy went on the court between two serves. It’s not my call to say first serve. I felt I didn’t do anything bad in the match to receive this treatment.”
As the dust settles over New York, the echoes of this wild encounter will linger. For Medvedev, it’s a bitter chapter in a year of frustration. For Bonzi, it’s a night that could change the trajectory of his career. In the city that never sleeps, the drama of the US Open wrote yet another unforgettable story.