Daniil Medvedev pens 'very personal' message to US Open rival after huge meltdown

Andrey Rublev has revealed that he received a message from Daniil Medvedev after reaching out to the world No. 13 in the wake of his fiery US Open outburst. Medvedev lashed out at the umpire during his first-round match and then encouraged the booing crowd, which prompted a six-minute delay while his opponent, Benjamin Bonzi, was up match point in the third set.

Medvedev managed to get back into the match but Bonzi went on to win in five sets, and the former champion destroyed his racket after losing. Medvedev has since parted ways with his long-time coach Gilles Cervara, and Rublev made sure to check in on his friend and countryman.

Bonzi had a match point on his serve in the third set while facing the world No. 1 last Sunday, but he missed his first serve. As he prepared to hit his second serve, a photographer ran onto the court.

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded him a first serve because of the interruption, and Medvedev stormed to his chair to argue. "What did Reilly Opelka say?" he screamed, referring to when Opelka branded Allensworth the "worst ref" on tour and asked for him to be sidelined for a few weeks.

Bonzi went on to win 6-3 7-5 6-7 0-6 6-4 and Medvedev obliterated his racket, smashing it against his bench. He was later fined a total of £31k for unsportsmanlike conduct and racket abuse.

It's been a tough Grand Slam season for Medvedev, who has not gone beyond the second round of any Major tournament, and also lost in the opening round at Wimbledon. The Russian has since parted ways with Cervara, his coach of almost a decade.

Fellow Russian tennis star Rublev, who has known Medvedev since they were children, has now confirmed that he reached out to the world No. 13, but explained that you couldn't help someone if they weren't "asking" for it.

"I wrote him a message of support, he replied to me, and it's something very personal, something that you cannot push, put pressure on the guy or push the guy," Rublev told Sky Sports.

"If you want to help, normally, they ask for help. If no one is asking for help, then it's not help. It means that I'm lying myself and I want to be like a good guy, too good or too smart, so it's not about helping if you're trying to get inside someone's life with your advice, this is not the right thing to do.

"So that's it, I supported him with my message, he replied, 'Thank you so much, good luck to you' in a nice way, so everything is good. I hope he will take some rest, recover, and he will be ready for the China swing."

If anyone can relate to Medvedev, it's Rublev. The world No. 15 has had his share of struggles on the court. He often used to hit himself with his racket while frustrated, and was even defaulted from the 2024 Dubai Championships after screaming in a line judge's face.

The 27-year-old has been open about his mental struggles and his battle with depression. Earlier this year, he explained: "I was just kind of in a loop, lost with myself for a couple of years of, I don't know, not finding the way, not understanding what to do, what for."

Rublev has also credited former world No. 1 and two-time Major winner Marat Safin with helping him during a low point. Safin is now part of Rublev's coaching team and has been in his box at the US Open this fortnight.

To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or newsletter