A photographer disrupted a match at Louis Armstrong Stadium between Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi, stepping onto the court and halting play for about seven minutes. As a result, the United States Tennis Association announced the photographer has been banned from the tournament.
The identity of the photographer has not been revealed.
During a crucial moment in the match, with Bonzi serving at Match Point (leading 6-3, 7-5, 5-4), the photographer’s unexpected entrance prompted chair umpire Greg Allensworth to stop the match. “Wait, not now,” he urged, asking the photographer to leave the court.
This disruption came just after Bonzi had missed his first serve. Allensworth elected to allow Bonzi another chance, which led to a visibly frustrated Medvedev confronting the umpire.
Medvedev raised his arms, encouraging loud boos from the crowd, as he questioned the umpire about the interruption. “Are you a man? Why are you shaking? What’s going on?” he said to the camera, visibly agitated.
Bonzi, aiming to serve again, insisted on waiting for the crowd to settle down, leading to further delays as he cried out, “Second serve!”
Upon resuming the match, Bonzi struggled to finish, and Medvedev managed to push the match into a decisive fifth set after winning two sets in a row. Ultimately, the former 2021 US Open champion faced an unexpected defeat against Bonzi, final scores being 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4.
