World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will face a significant loss of his prize money from the Australian Open, having been fined a total of $123,000 for his unsportsmanlike behavior during the tournament.
Medvedev was eliminated from the Open by Learner Tien, earning $150,000 for reaching the second round, but most of that will now go toward his fines. The explosive hard-court specialist lost control during his five-set victory over Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej, damaging his racket and a net camera in the process.
“The camera was very, very strong, because my racket didn’t withstand the damage, but the camera did. I was very surprised,” Medvedev commented afterwards. He noted that while the fine typically relates to breaking a racket, he didn’t think the camera from Go Pro would be too costly.
In his second-round match, Medvedev again showed frustration by throwing his racket at the advertisement boards, after which he missed the post-match media conference.
Medvedev, last year’s runner-up in Melbourne, had initially raised eyebrows for skipping warm-up tournaments leading up to the Australian Open, later revealing he was focused on family matters because his wife, Daria, had recently given birth to their second child.
On Instagram, Medvedev shared the joyful news on Wednesday, posting a photo of himself cradling the newborn alongside their daughter Alisa, with a caption simply reading “Happy 2025” and a love-heart emoji.
Reflecting on fatherhood, Medvedev previously discussed how becoming a parent has influenced his temperament on the court. He expressed hope that it helps him mature, admitting, “Many times I’m still immature on the court, but I feel like I’m improving slowly every year.”
He noted that being a father comes with significant responsibility and that the experience has taught him a lot. Medvedev shared insights into parenting challenges, including how his daughter’s reactions often lead him to ponder the nature of her behavior and genetics.
“My character definitely plays a role,” he said, illustrating the complexities of raising a child and the lessons learned along the way.
Credit: Daily Mail