“Open your eyes!” Daniil Medvedev exits Monte Carlo in righteous blaze after errant call

Even as he stood on the brink of defeat at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Daniil Medvedev wasn’t about to go quietly.

The end of his round-of-16 clash with countryman Karen Khachanov dissolved into farce as Medvedev found himself confronted by a physio he hadn’t called in the middle of a vociferous rant regarding the state of the tournament’s officiating.

“They don’t know how to referee anymore,” exclaims the former world No. 1, upset by a Khachanov shot that went uncalled in the penultimate game of the match. “Open your freaking eyes! Open your eyes!”

Serving at 15-30 at 5-5 in the second set, Medvedev lost a long rally and returned to the doubles alley to check a mark, one that was confirmed to have been out by electronic replay. The No. 4 seed would have no relief because he had not stopped the point to ask umpire Carlos Bernades to check the mark.

Broken the very next point, Medvedev flings his racquet and heads to the chair, only to be met by a team of physios when Bernardes errantly thought he had asked for a medical timeout.

Who will take responsibility? Answer this: the camera is looking. Daniil Medvedev

“Who will take action?” Medvedev asks supervisor Cedric Mourier, who entered the fray in the hopes of clearing up the confusion. “Yesterday, the ball is out. It’s called in. Who will take action? This ball is out. Who will take responsibility? It’s not my responsibility to referee the matches.”

Indeed, Medvedev was already on edge after a similar moment took place in his opening-round match against Gaël Monfils, arguably more egregiously because Medvedev did stop the point and umpire Mohamed Layhani backed up a call that electronic replay later deemed incorrect.

“Who will take responsibility?” Medvedev continues to Mourier. “Answer this: the camera is looking.”

Medvedev had made it a goal for 2024 to reign in his emotional outbursts, and while he calmed down in time to defeat Monfils, it was too late to course correct against Khachanov: picking up a warning for the racquet toss and a point penalty for the protracted rant, Medvedev bowed out of Monte Carlo, 6-3, 7-5.

“Sometimes if you don't control the crazy in the moment you have to control the crazy after the moment,” Medvedev said presciently in his post-match presser on Wednesday, now tasked with keeping control through what may be a long clay-court season for the 2021 US Open champion.