Daniil Medvedev was fined a significant portion of his Australian Open prize money due to his unsportsmanlike behaviour during this year’s Grand Slam, which included a racket-smashing outburst in the opening round.
The 28-year-old Russian defeated Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej in his opening round. However, he hit his racket into the net five times and broke a camera as his annoyance boiled over during the game.
Medvedev lost to American Learner Tien in five sets in the second round and earned a point penalty as he threw his equipment towards the sideline. He also did not show up for the news conference after the game.
The Grand Slam organizers fined Medvedev a total of $76,000 as a result of the two occurrences. All athletes who made it to the second round get about $123,000.
Medvedev’s breakdown against Samrej
In an intense five-set encounter against world No. 418 Kasidit Samrej in the opening round of the Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev broke a net camera while battling to control his emotions.
The enraged Russian player smashed his racket five times into the net after losing service in the third set. He then recovered and won the match 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Source: CNA