Daniil Medvedev isn’t a stranger to controversy on court. From heated exchanges with the chair umpire to sarcastic gestures toward the crowd, the Russian has often danced on the edge of tennis’ fine line between passion and penalty. For example, Medvedev was handed a substantial fine ($42,500) for his behavior in an extraordinary first-round exit at the 2025 US Open. Then again, at the China Open he almost faced a similar fate!

If we take a look at the incident from the US Open, at that time he had gotten into an argument with the chair umpire Greg Allensworth during his first-round loss against Benjamin Bonzi. The Frenchman was given another opportunity to serve by the umpire after a photographer entered the court between his first and second serves at match point for the Russian. This brief pause perhaps hindered Medvedev’s flow, causing him to lash out and incite the audience before ultimately ending the match at 3-6,5-7,7-6(5),6-0,4-6 and also smashing his racket afterwards. If we break up that penalty, he was docked $30,000 for unsportsmanlike behavior and another $12,500 for obliterating a racket against a chair.

Well, this time in Beijing, Daniil Medvedev was cited for not giving his best effort during his SF retirement against America’s Learner Tien. The Russian defeated the world number 3, Alexander Zverev, by 6-3,6-3 in the QF before unexpectedly going down to Tien in the SF by 7-5,5-7,0-4. The incident took place in the decider. He was seen suffering from cramps midway through the encounter, which had significantly affected his movements on the court. Seeing him not moving while returning Tien’s serve, the umpire, Adel Nour, thought that Medvedev had given up the match and didn’t try to win the point. 

So, after receiving a code violation for not giving his best effort, Daniil Medvedev was a bit shocked, and he appealed to the supervisor, Roland Herfel. During that intense moment, he was even heard saying, “You don’t talk now. I talk to him.” Later on when the supervisor sought confirmation of Nour’s ruling—the chair umpire cited Medvedev’s lack of movement. Hearing this, the Russian star yet again jumped in, saying, “So, you prefer that I retire? Say to the cameras that you prefer that the guys are retiring. I’m giving my best effort, so why the hell is he not giving his best effort? Who are you to decide for me? Who are you? What’s your name?”

Interestingly, not just at this tournament or the US Open, Medvedev also received a hefty amount of fines for his camera and racket smashing outbursts during the first two rounds of the AO earlier this year. Highlighting all these controversial moments from the 2025 season, Medvedev said, “I want to do something bad. I’m not allowed because I’m disqualified. Why is every referee in the world trying to intimidate me? I didn’t say one word. After US Open, I’m trying to be good, and this guy is doing that? And I’m supposed to act good?”

Despite his arguments, the call would stand, but he was forced to retire from this match when he was trailing 0-4 in the final set. But later on, an ATP spokesperson clarified that upon reviewing the incident during this SF clash in Beijing, ATP Officiating has determined that the ‘Best Efforts’ code violation was “issued in error.” They claimed that they had communicated this to Daniil Medvedev and his team following the match, and no fine will be imposed. But what’s this ‘Best Efforts’ rule? 

Everything you need to know about the ‘Best Efforts’ rule in tennis

Daniil Medvedev is currently sitting at ‌18th place in the rankings following a poor run of form in 2025. Perhaps, he had a sigh of relief after escaping this penalty. But talking about this rule, according to the ATP handbook, “A player shall use his best efforts during the match when competing in a tournament. Violation of this section shall subject a player to a fine up to $40,000 for each violation (at a 500-level event like the China Open).”

Has any player been penalized before under this ruling? The answer to this is, yes! In 2019, Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic was fined his full prize money of around $56,000 at Wimbledon for not meeting “the required professional standard” in his first-round loss against Wilfried Tsonga.

Fines for lack of effort are on the rise in the racket spot following the introduction of a performance rule in 2018 that aimed to deter players who enter tournaments while injured from retiring during first-round matches. In that same year as Tomic, i.e., in 2019, even America’s Anna Tatishvili was penalized ($52,000) during the French Open after her 6-0,6-1 loss to Maria Sakkari. However, later on in a statement, Tatishvili clarified, “The Grand Slam Board has reversed the sanction imposed on me at the 2019 French Open, acknowledging I played ‘professionally from the first to the very last point’ and returning to me all of the prize money that I earned.”

Another Russian star, Marat Safin, was fined $2,000 by the AO tournament referee for failing to make an appropriate effort in his 6(4)-7,4-6,1-6 defeat to South African qualifier Grant Stafford in the first round of the 2000 AO. 

Commenting on this ruling, American star Sloane Stephens once said, “I think now if the tournaments are going to be their own judge and say, like, and they're going to do that, then—hmm. I can't say I'm 100% on board with that.” Nick Kyrgios had dropped a comment on Tomic’s incident, saying it was “a little rough” to take away all the money that he had earned by playing in that tournament.

What did Learner Tien have to say about this incident featuring the former world number one, Daniil Medvedev, though?

Learner Tien opens up on what exactly went wrong for Daniil Medvedev in this match

With this win, the 19-year-old American star, Learner Tien, became the second-youngest finalist in tournament history. He will now face the world number 2, Jannik Sinner, in the final. But before that, he shared his thoughts about the SF match against Daniil Medvedev.

The youngster said, “I didn't think anything was wrong with him, and then he came out of the bathroom break kind of limping, so I was not sure if he was cramping or if he was injured, as he had tape on his leg. I think it was cramping, and I have been there, and it is not fun. All the best to him, and it is not how you want to come through a match, but I am happy to be in the final.”

Medvedev struggled with his movements in the later phase of this match, and he also had a taping on his right knee. He was looking to reach his second final of the season and his first on the hard courts since the 2024 Indian Wells, but unfortunately for the Russian, his fortune didn’t favor him this time. Next up for him is the Shanghai Masters, but now the question will be: Is he fit enough to take part in that event? Well, we’ll have to wait a bit to get this answer! 

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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