At the recent Laver Cup, Daniil Medvedev found himself in a tight spot during his match against Ben Shelton. Down 4-5 in the tie-break, the Russian made a costly error, giving his opponent two set points in a row. Frustrated with his performance, Medvedev let out his emotions by throwing his racket in a dangerous manner, narrowly avoiding hitting spectators in the front row. The incident raised concerns of a potential disqualification for the fiery player.
Despite his reckless behavior, Medvedev was able to pull through and win the tie-break. However, his luck ran out as he suffered his second consecutive defeat at the Laver Cup. Reflecting on his conduct, Medvedev addressed the media in a post-match press conference.
“I didn’t mean to throw the racket like that. I didn’t mean to throw it in a dangerous place for the others, it was a horrible gesture on my part,” admitted Medvedev. “I was lucky, because I didn’t hit anyone. When you don’t hit anyone, you don’t get disqualified in tennis. That’s how things work. Obviously it’s a gesture that I shouldn’t have made. It’s rare for me to say something like that, but I played a horrible match.”
The frustrated player went on to express his disappointment with his performance, stating, “I felt, during the match, that I played the worst tennis of my life. But it’s okay, because I fought until the end. I lost two matches in the super tie-break, I didn’t have the decisive momentum to win them. I’m very disappointed: here I’m not playing just for myself, but for the whole team. I’m very disappointed with my performance.”
Medvedev’s outburst serves as a reminder of the intensity and passion that players bring to the court, but also highlights the importance of maintaining composure in high-pressure situations. Though he managed to avoid disqualification on this occasion, the incident is sure to raise questions about the player’s temperament and behavior on the court.