There are few sporting figures who court controversy quite like Daniil Medvedev.
The Russian tennis star, 30, may be a Grand Slam champion and one of the top players in the world, but whether it’s a dramatic meltdown, a clash with an umpire or a brutal racquet smash, he is rarely far from the news.
This was the case again on Monday when he was disqualified from the semi-final of the China Open after he inexplicably hammered a ball into the stands in frustration after losing a point against Novak Djokovic.
Unfortunately for Medvedev, a spectator was hit by his rogue shot, with the affected fan seen holding their left eye before they were escorted away for medical treatment, and the 30-year-old was suitably punished for his actions.
It was the latest flashpoint in a chequered career for the Russian, who grew up in relative privilege after being born in Moscow in 1996.
Medvedev’s father, Sergey, was a successful entrepreneur who made his money selling building materials, enabling him to fund his son’s early tennis development.
Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev is one of the most controversial figures in the game
The 30-year-old Russian is regularly seen arguing with umpires or having on court meltdowns
As a youngster, alongside tennis, Medvedev took harpsichord, guitar, chess, drawing and multiple language lessons, while he was known to be a strong swimmer.
The family eventually relocated to France to support his tennis ambitions and after enrolling at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a highly prestigious university nicknamed the ‘Harvard of Russia’, the 30-year-old dropped out to focus on his sporting career.
But despite a stable and supportive upbringing, Medvedev appears to be a complicated character, who causes chaos on courts across the world.
So, in light of his latest actions, Daily Mail Sport has taken a look at some of the maverick tennis star’s most memorable moments.
Umpire arguments
There are unlikely to be any umpires on Medvedev’s Christmas card list given how often he clashes with them during matches, but one notable incident tops the lot from June 2017.
During a five-set second-round loss to Ruben Bemelmans, Medvedev repeatedly expressed his anger towards the chair umpire Mariana Alves.
He was left furious over a series of calls and asked for her to be replaced during the deciding set.
Then, at the end of the game, the Russian chose to empty his wallet and threw coins towards the bottom of her chair, actions that saw him fined $14,500 (£10,945) for unsportsmanlike conduct.
It’s not only umpires who have attracted his wrath though, with Medvedev involved in an incident with ballkids during a US Open victory over Feliciano Lopez in 2019.
After the crowd turned on him due to his behaviour, he responded poorly and was seen snatching a towel away from one, before shouting in their direction.
Moments later, he lobbed his racket towards the umpire.
Medvedev has had several memorable on court arguments with umpires during matches
Fan clashes
During that aforementioned incident seven years ago at the US Open, Medvedev also made an obscene gesture towards the booing crowd.
And when he spoke after the match, he continued to wind up those in attendance.
‘The only thing I can say is the energy you’re giving me right now guys, it will be enough for the next five matches,’ he taunted.
‘The more you do this, the more I’ll win for you guys.’
His punishment was a $9,000 (£6,793) fine, that consisted of $5,000 (£3,774) for unsportsmanlike conduct, and $4,000 (£3,019) for a visible obscenity.
At the Australian Open in 2022, he also became public enemy No1 after claiming the local supporters had a ‘low IQ’ having been on the receiving end of a hostile reception.
He later added that those in attendance had killed his love for tennis, after also kicking off at ballkids during a match for allegedly not having enough balls for him.
At the US Open in 2019, Medvedev made an obscene gesture towards a hostile crowd
Mid-game meltdowns
Medvedev is known to be a hot-headed and combustible character on the tennis circuit, and he is most associated with chaotic on-court meltdowns.
At the Monte-Carlo Masters earlier this year, Medvedev was thrashed 0-6, 0-6 by Matteo Berrettini, after which he smashed his racquet into the clay court no fewer than seven times.
The Russian then lobbed his broken equipment into a nearby bin, costing himself a whopping €6,000 (£5,092) in fines.
Seeing Medvedev demolish a racquet is not an unfamiliar sight for tennis fans, with the 30-year-old taking things to another level at the ATP Finals in 2024.
During a straight-sets defeat by Taylor Fritz, a disappointing first set ended with Medvedev smashing his racquet against his seat.
In the second set, things weren’t going much better and Medvedev was seen throwing his racquet into the sky before letting it hit the court on the full.
Unfortunately for the Russian, one of those throws broke a courtside microphone, resulting in a points penalty.
This escalated things further, with Medvedev threatening to retire from the match altogether, although he ultimately did play out the rest of the encounter.
Medvedev rarely controls his anger when things aren’t going for him during matches
He regularly riles up crowds and has faced several hefty fines throughout his chequered career
Meanwhile, back at the Australian Open in 2025, he did little to endear himself to unimpressed locals.
During the first round of the tournament, Medvedev smashed a net camera with his tennis racket, before he had another meltdown in the next round.
This involved several angry outbursts, exchanges and what was defined as ‘repeated tennis racquet misuse’.
This cost the Russian a fine of $76,000 (£57,370) before he also was asked to fork out an extra $30,000 (£22,646) for a replacement camera.
But Medvedev’s most memorable meltdown came at the 2025 US Open, in an incident that has been titled by one YouTube clip as ‘Medvedev SPARKS MASSIVE RIOT at the US Open’.
With the Russian facing a match point against outsider Benjamin Bonzi in the first round, a photographer walked onto the court.
Umpire Greg Allensworth subsequently awarded Bonzi a second first serve due to the delay caused by the intruder, infuriating Medvedev.
He unleashed a tirade against Allensworth, including some bizarre accusations where he said: ‘Are you a man? Why are you shaking?’
During his meltdown, Medvedev riled up the crowd who were largely supporting Bonzi, before he addressed a courtside camera by saying the official ‘gets paid by the match, not by the hour’.
After Bonzi closed out the match, Medvedev returned to his seat and smashed his racquet on his chair, putting him a further $42,500 (£32,082) out of pocket.
There are few sporting figures quite like Medvedev, and after his latest antics on Monday, he shows little sign of calming down anytime soon.
