"Horrible from me" - Daniil Medvedev regrets controversial racket throw incident at Laver Cup 2024 but maintains he did not look at disqualification
Daniil Medvedev found himself in the middle of controversy at the Laver Cup 2024 after his outburst of anger nearly led to an injury to a fan in the stands. The incident occured during the high-octane contest between the Russian and Ben Shelton.
Medvedev and Shelton played the first singles match on the final day of the 2024 Laver Cup, i.e., September 22. Team World had a one-point lead over Team Europe before the match, and the pressure was on both players to give their team a substantial advantage. The first set went into a tie-breaker and Medvedev handed Shelton two set points after sending a ball long at 5-4.
Disappointed with the shot, the Russian threw his racket on the ground. The racket bounced off of the court and ended up in the stands. Fortunately, it did not hit anyone in the crowd at the Uber Arena, and Medvedev was let off with a code violation warning.
While the Russian took the first set tie-breaker, he eventually lost the match to Shelton, (6)6-7, 7-5, 10-7. In his post-match conference, Medvedev shed more light on the racket controversy and apologized for his conduct. Moreover, the former World No. 1 declared that he did not deserve to be disqualified as the racket did not hit anyone.
"I didn't want to throw it the way I threw it. I mean, I didn't want -- I wanted to throw it, like, on one place, so it was horrible from me. I got lucky. I didn't touch anyone. When you don't touch anyone in tennis, you don't get a disqualification. So that's it. I got, yeah, should not do this," Medvedev told the press.
Daniil Medvedev ends Laver Cup 2024 winless; Team Europe emerges victorious
Daniil Medvedev featured at the Laver Cup for the second time in his career and had a horrid time at the tournament. The former US Open champion faced Frances Tiafoe on day 2 of the 2024 Laver Cup and blew a one-set advantage en route to a 3-6, 6-4, 10-5 loss.
On day 3, Daniil Medvedev came up against Ben Shelton and lost again despite taking the first set. The Russian did not play any doubles matches and thus ended his campaign at the 2024 Laver Cup without a win. Despite Medvedev's losses, Team Europe managed to edge past Team World in the final match of the tournament and win the Laver Cup for the fifth time.
Team Europe trailed Team World 8-4 at the end of day 2 and staged an incredible comeback on day 3. Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud began the day by bagging three points with a doubles victory. Shelton took his team closer to the title with a win over Medvedev. However, Alexander Zverev and Alcaraz turned the tide in their side's favor in the last two singles matches. Team Europe ended up winning the 2024 Laver Cup 13-11.