"Are you stupid or what?" - Daniil Medvedev shouts at fans to shut up in heated exchange at US Open, one fan sarcastically blows a kiss in response
There was a tense moment during Daniil Medvedev's second-round clash with Christopher O'Connell at the 2023 US Open on Thursday, as the Russian yelled at the fans to shut up while he got ready to serve.
Medvedev advanced to the third round at Flushing Meadows for the sixth consecutive year after coming through 6-2, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-2 over O'Connell. The Australian put up some late resistance but Medvedev ultimately prevailed in the three-hour and three-minute long encounter, which concluded at 1:10 am local time.
As Daniil Medvedev prepared to serve at 1-1 in the fourth set, he was disrupted by two fans who were talking loudly while walking to their seats with refreshments. Frustrated by the distraction, the World No. 3 yelled at the fans to shut up. He even questioned whether they were "stupid" or had "low IQ" while emphatically gesturing to his head.
"Can you shut up? Are you stupid or what? Stupid or what? Low IQ?" he yelled.
The fan, in turn, sarcastically blew a kiss towards the former World No. 1 before taking her seat.
The chair umpire eventually intervened and called for the audience to settle down.
"Please be fair to both players. Thank you," the chair umpire said.
However, Medvedev was not appeased as he continued to direct heated comments towards the fans in question.
Watch the incident here:
"I'm happy that I was able to still hang in there" - Daniil Medvedev after 'tough' win over Christopher O'Connell in US Open 2R
The victory over Christopher O'Connell was Daniil Medvedev's 250th on hardcourts. He is the 15th active player and the first player under 30 to achieve the feat.
During his post-match interview, the former World No. 1 commented on the challenging nature of the match, acknowledging that O'Connell significantly raised his level over the course of the encounter.
"Tough match. I don't know why, but one moment in the match he decided to play better. I played the same from the first ball to the last. It became tougher for me. It became much tougher. I'm happy that I was able to still hang in there. I had opportunities in the third set, and I managed to use them in the fourth," he said.
Daniil Medvedev will take on Sebastian Baez in the third round of the 2023 US Open on Saturday, September 2. Medvedev will look to snap Baez's 12-match winning streak; the Argentine arrived at Flushing Meadows with back-to-back titles, in Kitzbuhel and Winston-Salem, under his belt.