Daniil Medvedev is in full mental crisis. After the defeat in the first round of the US Open, characterized by the umpteenth explosion of anger, the former n. 1 of the world shows clear signs of exhaustion. Boris Becker invites him to seek professional help, suggesting a break to reconstruct (he hasn’t won for 2 years)
I Six minutes that send Daniil Medvedev to the Matti and the open open on the bed of the psychiatrist they begin with A photographer who moves for the Louis Armstrong fieldthat is, the meadows flowing switchboard, when it shouldn’t. At the service there is the French Benjamin Bonzi, an honest profession that in 2024 won the first and so far a single ATP title: ahead two sets (6-3, 7-5) and 5-4 in the third with the former n.1 of the ranking, Bonzi has on the racket the match point which would allow him to grasp the most beautiful result of his career. But he does not put the first, the photographer moves, the game is – in fact – disturbed. The Greg Allensworth chair judge applies the regulation and grants the French to replay the point. Medvedev loses control: he goes crazy. I scream against the referee (“you just want to go home!”), Try to attach the audience in his favor, he plans like a totem at the center of a bedlam that finds the complicity of cheering.
In New York at tennis you go to eat, drink, adjacent to the celebrities, to be framed by the cameras. Everything is depending on entertainment. This is not Wimbledon: if there is to feed the circus, the Americans do not hold back. Following minutes excited: Bonzi is disoriented, the29 year old Medvedev possessive.
When after almost seven minutes the match resumes, the Frenchman loses the break of advantage and also the set. He will come to his head long after, closing 6-4 to the fifth, convinced that he had never witnessed anything like this: “Surreal situation, Daniil has poured petrol on the fire, even in football things happen like this!”. Advances bonzi; Moscow’s man – That at the US Open in 2021 he conquered his solitary major preventing Djokovic from making the Grand Slam – returns home (Montecarlo) with serious doubts about his future.
This year in Slam it never went beyond the second round (that of the camera split to the Australian Open), The crisis is technical but we are also in the presence of a burnout mental. He hasn’t won a tournament for over two years (Last triumph at the Foro Italico in May 2023, the first and only title on land), has lost the last five finals but above all he has not hit one for more than 12 months: since, that is, he lost against Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells. In Washington, this year, it was eliminated by another Frenchman, Moutet, after winning the first set, and had ended up in the same way as the US Open: violent rackets against the bench.
«Medvedev is in full nervous exhaustion, he needs help professional »is the Opinion of Boris Beckerspecial observer of tennis events. The common feeling is that the Russo is hurting himselflike his friend Rublev last year, with an admitted depression; Perhaps it would be appropriate to close the season hereresign yourself to the exit from the top 15 and reconstruct for the future.
The past, those six consecutive victories on Jannik Sinner before the blue managed to overturn the inertia of rivalry (one of its most important steps), seems very far away. “I thought of closing my career tonight, Now I expect a nice fine – said Medvedev -. There is nothing that goes well in this period, Bonzi continued with the coach but the same always punish the same: Kyrgios, Bublik, me … ».
Meanwhile, Sinner debuts tonight with the Czech Kopriva (his portrait), Ruud complains of the smell of Marjuana in the fields (a classic, in NY), Djokovic records the wider age gap with an opponent (Tien): 18 years and 194 days.
and then teh judge. bonzi closes the game and the Russian cracks, spitting a sentence that sounds like a verdict: “I will never play again in this way. I’d rather die.”
The match is over, the US Open is over, the season is in the balance.A crisis of nerves, if you like, explain it that way: but the situation of daniil Medvedev, defeated at the first round by Bonzi, seems to have gone beyond that. The umpteenth outburst of anger – the umpteenth insult, the umpteenth racket thrown to the ground, the umpteenth physical signal of exhaustion – is the symptom a collapse that now involves both the tennis player and the man. The words, the tears, the reactions, are those of a person who can no longer stand it.Who cannot bear to be the player he was, the one who dominated the circuit, the one who played every game to win. He’s not winning anymore. Two years have passed since his last success in a tournament and in the meantime he has repeatedly lost the final of the Grand slam (Australia, twice the US Open). Boris Becker from the sidelines, the champion who knows all the mechanisms and dynamics, speaks openly about the need to seek help. “He needs a break – says Becker – to reconstruct himself. He is losing the joy of playing. And the only way to rediscover it is indeed to stop.”
The tennis player, from the point of view of statistics, did nothing wrong. He is still a top-five in the world. He still manages to dominate the opponents against whom he is superior and not those who are in the Grand Slam final. But perhaps, the problem is just here. Even if only in this first round, Medvedev looked a lot more like someone just trying to get by rather than the ruthless winner.
medvedev’s coach Gilles Cervara is not only concerned about the technical and tactical aspects of his player’s game: more than anything he has to manage the emotional part. The season has shown it, a lot of energy expended and above all a loss of focus.What happened with Bonzi has only amplified the problem. The end of the US Open confirms the end of the season: now the goal is to rebuild in view of 2026. But it will not be easy.
Medvedev’s Recent Struggles: A Statistical Overview
Daniil Medvedev’s recent performance has been a stark contrast to the dominance he once displayed on the court. The following table highlights key statistics,offering a clear view of his decline:
| Statistic | Pre-Decline (2021) | Current (2024-2025) | Change |
|———————-|——————-|———————|—————|
| Ranking | World No. 1 | World No. 5 | Down 4 Spots |
| Grand Slam Titles | 1 | 0 | Down 1 Title |
| Match Wins (%) | 78% | 55% | Down 23% |
| Finals Reached | 9 | 2 | Down 7 Finals |
| Mental Fortitude | High | very Low | Decline |
Data reflects the period prior to Medvedev’s peak, in the year when he became World No. 1, compared to the current season. This data is based on available facts up to august 2024.
FAQ: Addressing Common Questions About Medvedev’s Crisis
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about Daniil Medvedev’s current situation, providing clarity and insight:
- Q: What triggered daniil Medvedev’s on-court outburst at the US Open?
- A: Medvedev’s anger resulted from a combination of factors, including a controversial call by the chair umpire, the loss of match points, and compounded frustration from his recent performance struggles.
- Q: Has Medvedev’s performance declined significantly?
- A: Yes. His ranking, match win percentage, and mental fortitude have all experienced a marked decline. He has also lost the high percentage of finals reached compared to his peak.
- Q: What is Boris Becker suggesting Medvedev do?
- A: boris Becker is advising Medvedev to take a break from professional tennis to reconstruct himself, suggesting he might potentially be losing the joy of playing.
- Q: What are the main issues Coach Gilles Cervara is addressing?
- A: Coach Cervara is focusing on managing Medvedev’s emotional state, and also managing the technical and tactical of his game, given the notable toll it has taken on his emotional focus.
- Q: What is the goal for Medvedev moving forward?
- A: The aim moving forward is to rebuild in preparation for the 2026 season. This will likely involve dealing with mental health issues.
