Daniil Medvedev ranted and raved at the umpire during hisAustralian Open semifinal win.- He was unhappy with his opponent getting advice from his coaches, and let his feelings be known.
World number two Daniil Medvedev once again struggled to control his emotions as he secured his spot in the final of the Australian Open, defeating rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets Friday.
Throughout this year's tournament Medvedev has launched a number of angry on-court outbursts, clashing with fans, officials, and opponents over perceived slights such as boos from the crowd, incorrect decisions, and "boring" play.
Friday's semifinal against Tsitsipas was no different, with the Russian this time taking issue with what he believed was his opponent being coached from the sidelines, something not allowed during matches.
Tsitsipas' father and coach Apostolos was in the player's box for the match, and appeared to be giving his son advice, something he has previously been censured for doing during this year's tournament.
Medvedev's annoyance spilled over during a changeover while trailing five games to four in the second set, with the Russian launching a furious tirade at umpire Jaume Campistol.
"His father can talk every point? Bro, are you stupid?" — Medvedev asked the Spanish official.
Medvedev then continued to ask Campistol the question, repeating the phrase, "His father can talk every point?" three more times in an increasingly loud and angry tone. By the third repetition, Medvedev was practically screaming at the umpire.
"Will you answer my question? Can you answer my question, please? Can his father talk every point?"
Having initially ignored Medvedev's outburst, Campistol then turned to him and said that he had not heard Apostolos Tsitsipas talking, to which the Russian replied: "Oh my god, you are so bad, man. How can you be so bad in the semifinal of a Grand Slam?"
"Look at me, I'm talking to you!" — Medvedev yelled, before adding: "Bro, are you mad?"
At this point, the change ended, and Medvedev returned to court, losing the following game and the set. He was not done, however, returning to talk to Campistol and reassert his view.
"Next time it should be a code violation because he's speaking to him," he said, calmly this time.
"If you don't, you are, how can I say it? A small cat," Medvedev finished, seemingly alluding to the derogatory term "pussy."
You can see footage of Medvedev's shouting below:
Ultimately, Medvedev was proved correct in his belief that Tsitsipas was getting instructions from the box, with Campistol eventually issuing the Greek with a code violation and a point deduction for the third time in the tournament.
—Wide World ofSports (@wwos) January 28, 2022
After his outbursts, Medvedev seemed to channel his anger onto the court, winning the third and fourth sets with apparent ease to take victory against fourth seed Tsitsipas and progress to a second consecutive Grand Slam final, having won the previous slam, the US Open, in September 2021.
He will play 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, who battled to an emotional victory earlier Friday, in Sunday's final.
Medvedev's ill-tempered 2 weeks Down Under
While Medvedev has been imperious on the court in Australia — living up to his billing as the tournament favorite after Novak Djokovic's expulsion — he has struggled to control his temper, launching some form of angry rant in virtually every match he has played.
After knocking out home favorite Nick Kyrgios in the second round, Medvedev clashed with the crowd because he thought they were jeering him throughout the match.
Fans in the stands could regularly be heard shouting Cristiano Ronaldo's famous goal celebration "SIUUU" during the clash, which the Russian mistook for boos. After the match he accused those yelling at him of having a "low IQ."
As the tournament progressed, Medvedev called opponent Maxime Cressy "boring" in the fourth round, before accusing a tournament staff member of having "no brain" during his quarterfinal win.