Former No. 1 Medvedev fined nearly half of his US Open prize money after crazy meltdown

Daniil Medvedev already knows how much he will have to pay for his meltdown at the 2025 US Open.

Medvedev's journey at this year's US Open ended earlier than he expected. The 29-year-old was beaten by Benjamin Bonzi in five sets, losing 3-6, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-0, 4-6. It was already his third consecutive loss.

However, despite playing five sets against Bonzi, the Russian had already faced a match point in the third set. It was at that moment that one of the photographers entered the court between Bonzi's first and second serves, which prompted the chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, to award the Frenchman another first serve.

That angered Medvedev, who approached the umpire, voicing his disagreement with the decision. The Russian didn't really mince words, even referencing Reilly Opelka's statement about Allensworth's umpiring qualities.

Medvedev was furious, and the crowd in New York only fuelled his behavior. The play was stopped for six minuted before Bonzi was allowed to continue, eventually losing three points in a row, and subsequently the set as well.

But even all of that wasn't enough for Medvedev to turn the match around. After losing it in five sets, the Russian player repeatedly struck his racket against his bench, which was another violation for which he could have expected a fine.

He now knows how much he will have to pay for both of those offences. For his behavior on the match point, which included confronting the umpire, Medvedev received a $30,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. On top of that, he received another $12,500 fine for racket abuse. That is $42,500 in total, which is over 38% of the $110,000 he received for a first-round loss.

During his post-match press conference following his meltdown, Medvedev even faced a question about whether the match against Bonzi was the end of his tennis career, as he used those words during one of his answers.

The Russian, however, isn't ready to end his career yet. But if he were to end, he thinks having one such match as his final goodbye would be really fitting.

It's clear that Medvedev needs some time away from the tennis courts. He has been mentally all over the place in the past few months, and an extended break from the sport could only help him.

That's why he will likely be very happy about having at least two weeks off after his first-round loss at the US Open. After that, his schedule will be quite busy, as she signed up for multiple events.

The former World No. 1 player appears on the entry list for the Hangzhou Open, and Medvedev should also compete at the China Open in Beijing.