WATCH: Daniil Medvedev launches racket into the air in frustration, hilariously ducks for cover after failing to catch it in shock Paris Masters loss
Daniil Medvedev stirred controversy yet again when his frustrations got the better of him during his shock second-round loss at the 2024 Paris Masters. The Russian launched his racket high into the air, but when it came down, he hilariously ducked for cover after failing to catch it.
Medvedev, a former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion, is yet to win a title this season, and his barren spell continued in Paris. On Wednesday, October 30, the Russian started his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event with a second-round match against Alexei Popyrin. The Russian was the favorite on paper, having won all three encounters between the pair prior to their match.
However, this time around, Alexei Popyrin held firm and an erratic display from Daniil Medvedev resulted in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(4) loss for him. At one point during the match, the World No. 5 hurled his racket straight up into the air, clearly frustrated by the way things were going. Soon though, as the racket came down, Medvedev clumsily attempted to catch it, but couldn't, ultimately ducking for cover.
Check out the comedic moment unfold below:
Medvedev is yet to win a title this season, but things could change for the Russian at the year-end Nitto ATP Finals.
Nitto ATP Finals 2024 set to be Daniil Medvedev's last chance to clinch a title this season
The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals is scheduled to take place from November 10 to 17 at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. Daniil Medvedev has already qualified for the prestigious year-end event, which he won in 2020 after defeating Dominic Thiem in the final. The Russian reached the event's final in 2021 as well, but this time around, Alexander Zverev emerged victorious at the last hurdle.
This season's edition of the Nitto ATP Finals is slated to mark Medvedev's sixth consecutive appearance at the year-end tournament. Last year, the Russian had made it past the Round Robin phase, but lost in the semifinals to eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner.
Despite Daniil Medvedev's formidable reputation and consistent top 10 finishes in recent years, his chances at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals look bleak. The likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the World No. 1 and World No. 2 respectively, are widely regarded as the favorites for the title in Turin.
Medvedev's own form has been wayward of late as well, which came to the fore during his loss to Popyrin in Paris. The Russian produced a dismal 14 double faults throughout the contest.