Wimbledon: Daniil Medvedev throws coins at umpire after defeat

A Russian tennis player has apologised after throwing coins at an umpire during Wimbledon.
Daniil Medvedev gives a press conference. Picture: PADaniil Medvedev gives a press conference. Picture: PA
Daniil Medvedev gives a press conference. Picture: PA

At the end of his second-round match, Daniil Medvedev got out his wallet and threw coins at the umpire’s chair after losing 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6 to Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans.

At the 21-year-old’s post-match press conference, a journalist asked: “You understand the interpretation of it would mean you perhaps thought the referee or the umpire was biased or had been bought? Would that be the interpretation?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Medvedev replied: “I haven’t thought about it. And that’s not the why I did it.”

The Russian player, ranked 49th in the world, was annoyed at the umpire after he disagreed with one of her calls in the fifth set.

He said: “I was disappointed with the result of the match. It was frustrating after a big win I had.

“All the match was not going well for me. So I was just very disappointed.

“In the heat of the moment, I did a bad thing. I apologise for this.”

The 2017 Grand Slam rulebook states that “players shall at all times conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner and give due regard to the authority of officials and the rights of opponents, spectators and others”.

It adds that “violation of this section shall subject a player to a fine up to $20,000” (£15,500).

Medvedev had previously caused a first-round upset at SW19 when he beat Swiss player Stan Wawrinka, ranked third in the world.