The ATP Finals in Turin have ignited with a bang, and it didn’t take long for the drama to follow suit! The opening match between Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz had fans on the edge of their seats, but what unfolded was beyond anyone’s guess. Mid-match, Medvedev, clearly struggling, pulled a move that left fans both amused and baffled—a bizarre gesture only he could pull off! 

The Russian tennis sensation was visibly struggling throughout the match, despite beginning it on a calmer note. While occasional errors were witnessed a tiebreak was soon achieved in the first set with both players having equal opportunities. However, Medvedev failed to keep his calm intact and shot a couple of double faults which ended up costing him the first set. A visibly furious Medvedev was seen smashing his racquet against the ground, leaving it deformed. However, he was given only a warning the first time. But the surprising gestures from Medvedev did not end there. 

Trailing behind in the second set 4-2, Medvedev started infuriating once again. He threw his racquet off the court but this time, he was handed a point penalty. He continued his antics despite losing a point surprising many in the community. In a tussle with the chair umpire after losing the point, the Russian player was seen tossing his racquet up in the air without making much attempt to hold it back as it eventually fell on the ground. He even held the racquet upside down which once again left the spectators scratching their heads. Interestingly, this is not the first time that Medvedev has depicted such a side of his trait. 

Similar scenes were witnessed during the US Open last year, where Daniil Medvedev got rid of his racquet as Grigor Dimitrov broke at 5-5. As soon as he performed this act, the line judge blew the whistle, further agitating the angered player. Taking a dig at the officials, he said, “I’m not going to play when they whistle. They’re stupid! If they don’t whistle, I’ll play!”  This year too, Medvedev depicted his hot-headed gestures on certain occasions. 

Playing against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semi-finals, it was reported that Medvedev had called chair umpire Eva Asderaki a “small cat.” He was handed a code violation even then as well. Interestingly, his actions have also drawn him immense flak from not just the fans, but his fellow players as well. 

When Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe demanded Daniil Medvedev’s disqualification

Daniil Medvedev has found himself in hot waters time and again. But despite this, he has continued to engage in serious scuffles, and one such incident was witnessed during the Laver Cup. It did not just receive condemnation from the fans but also forced his counterparts to demand a disqualification. 

During his match against Ben Shelton, Medvedev looked agitated and furious after he lost an important point in the tiebreaker. Serving at 4-5, he sent the ball long to give the world No. 17 a point and immediately threw his racket to the ground in frustration. Unfortunately, the racquet bounced back after hitting the ground and almost reached the first row of spectators and drew a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. This led to huge furor with Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe demanding his disqualification. 

However, while no spectators were hurt, this demand was not admitted by the officials. Now, as the ATP Finals progresses, it would be interesting to see if more such surprising gesture is witnessed by Medvedev. Can he keep his calm intact in the remaining matches? Well, only time will tell.