John McEnroe is worried about Daniil Medvedev, especially after the latter’s outburst of rage during his first-round exit at the US Open on August 24. He lost a five-setter to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who also beat Medvedev in the first round of Wimbledon last month.
Bonzi was serving and had the match point in the third set when a photographer apparently caused a disruption. This prompted chair umpire Greg Allensworth to award the player another first serve, which did not go down well with Medvedev.
The Russian immediately confronted the umpire and got the crowd’s support, as the play was halted for over six minutes. While the 2021 US Open winner saved the match point and won the third and fourth sets, Bonzi had the last laugh, winning 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4.
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Apart from yelling at the umpire, Daniil Medvedev tossed six of his rackets into the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium before smashing one multiple times on his bench after the match.
Appearing on the 'Nothing Major Show,' John McEnroe opined that Medvedev is "lost." The former player also doubted that the 29-year-old could find his groove again.
"You know, he already has tapped out, like months ago. I've been worried about his level because he doesn't know what the hell he's doing at this point for a guy that good on hard courts. So, this (outburst) sort of cemented it, like how little confidence he has in anything. Bonzi showed a lot of balls at the end in the fifth set. I was sort of hoping Medvedev would win," McEnroe said (14:25).
"He's got to get his act together. I'm not sure he can. I think he's so lost right now. I'm not sure what's going to happen with him in the future. I always liked Daniil. There's something about the US Open that brings out the best and worst of him," he added.
Daniil Medvedev has had a forgettable season so far, winning just one match at Majors. He faced opening-round exits at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. His last title came at the 2023 Italian Open.
Daniil Medvedev fined $42,500 for misconduct at 2025 US Open
Daniil Medvedev has been slapped with a fine of $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $12,500 for racket abuse, totaling $42,500. This amount was deducted from his prize money of $110,000 for appearing in the Round of 128 of the US Open.
During his altercation with chair umpire Greg Allensworth, the Russian apparently mentioned Reilly Opelka, who previously dubbed Allensworth "the worst ump on tour.” After the match, the former World No. 1 admitted to his struggles and vowed to return stronger next year. He said (via ATP Tour):
“I'm playing bad and in important moments, even worse. Everything: serve, return, volley, whatever… I just need to play better, and I'm going to try to do it next year.”
Daniil Medvedev won his lone Grand Slam title in New York in 2021, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final.
