Top-ranked professional tennis player Daniil Medvedev destroyed a camera and his tennis racket while facing what could have been a monumental upset in the Australian Open for a 418th-ranked wild card in the first round of the Grand Slam tournament on Tuesday.
Medvedev’s outburst It came during the third set when he lost a 13-stroke back-and-forth with Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej to fall behind 40-15. With Medvedev in the net, Samrej’s shot grazed the net and went beyond Medvedev’s reach in a direction he clearly could not have anticipated.
Daniil Medvedev reacts during his first round match against Kasidit Samrej at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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Then Medvedev, three times Australian Open finalist, He unleashed his anger at the net, breaking his racket several times.
In the process, Medvedev destroyed his racket and a camera that was situated directly in his path of destruction.
Staff rushed to replace the broken camera and clean up debris on the court. Medvedev received a code violation warning for racket abuse from the chair umpire.
Daniil Medvedev breaks a television camera with his racket when he lost the third set against Kasidit Samrej in the men’s singles first round match at the Australian Open on January 14, 2025. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
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Medvedev lost the set and trailed 2-1, and it looked like the No. 5-ranked player would face elimination. But Medvedev quickly turned things around to win the next two sets 6-1, 6-2 and advance to the second round.
“At the end of last year, I probably would have lost this match,” Medvedev said after the match. “New year, new energy.”
Daniil Medvedev’s breakout came during the third set when he lost a 13-shot back-and-forth with Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Medvedev hopes to start the 2025 season with a victory in Melbourne. Medvedev, a three-time finalist including last year’s tournament, has never won the Australian Open. His biggest rival will be Novak Djokovic, who has won the most Australian Open titles than any other men’s player with 10.
