The US Open has always been a melting pot of tennis excellence and unpredictable drama, but this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows has delivered a spectacle that fans and players alike won’t soon forget. The world’s most chaotic Grand Slam lived up to its reputation on Sunday, August 24, 2025, when a late-night match between France’s Benjamin Bonzi and Russia’s Daniil Medvedev descended into pandemonium—thanks in no small part to an extraordinary courtside blunder that’s now the talk of the tennis world.
It was supposed to be a routine first-round clash, but as the hours ticked past midnight in the electric atmosphere of Louis Armstrong Stadium, the match took a wild turn. Bonzi, unseeded and looking for the biggest win of his career, found himself serving at match point against the 13th-seeded Medvedev. With the Frenchman leading two sets to love and up 5-4 in the third, the tension in the air was palpable. But no one could have predicted what would happen next.
As Bonzi faulted on his first serve and prepared for the most important second serve of his life, freelance photojournalist Selcuk Acar unexpectedly entered the court. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth, quick to react, called for an immediate stoppage, shouting, “Not now, get off the court please!” The interruption was brief, but its impact would be seismic. Allensworth awarded Bonzi a new first serve, citing a “delay caused by outside interference.”
The decision ignited an explosive reaction from Medvedev, who stormed across the court to confront the umpire. According to Reuters, Medvedev accused Allensworth of trying to end the match prematurely, challenging him with, “Are you a man? Are you a man?” He didn’t stop there. Turning to a courtside microphone, the 2021 US Open champion shouted, “He wants to go home guys. He doesn't like to be here, he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.” Medvedev then whipped up the already rowdy New York crowd, waving his arms and urging them to voice their anger. The resulting chorus of boos and jeers brought play to a standstill for over six minutes.
“They didn’t want to stop,” Medvedev later shrugged. “So, whatever.” But in the heat of the moment, his frustration was unmistakable. The extended delay rattled Bonzi, who would later admit, “I never experienced something like that. Maybe we wait five minutes before the match point and it was so difficult to play. I tried to stay calm and stay in the match, but it was not easy.”
When play finally resumed, Medvedev—spurred on by the chaos—saved match point, forced a third-set tiebreak, and won it to keep the match alive. He then steamrolled through the fourth set 6-0, with Bonzi appearing to wilt under the pressure. But the Frenchman wasn’t finished. Digging deep in the deciding set, Bonzi twice recovered from a break down before breaking Medvedev’s serve to seal a remarkable 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and forty-five minutes of drama.
“It was crazy. I may have got some new fans but also some new non-fans,” Bonzi said, reflecting on the wild energy in the stadium. “The energy was wild. Thanks to all those who were booing that gave me energy in the fifth.” For Medvedev, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. He slumped in his seat after the match, smashing his racquet in frustration—a fitting exclamation point to a night defined by chaos.
The repercussions of the incident were swift. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) revoked Selcuk Acar’s credentials, barring him from covering the remainder of the tournament. The association cited a clear violation of protocol. Acar, a seasoned photojournalist with experience at the FIFA World Cup and presidential visits, defended himself in comments to the Daily Mail: “I’m a victim and totally innocent. This incident has already turned into a lynching. Although I’m innocent, I’ve suffered greatly.” He explained that a security official told him play was paused, and he returned to the sideline as soon as he realized the match was ongoing. Acar called the ordeal a learning experience and vowed never to repeat it.
The US Open’s unique atmosphere is no secret to tennis fans or players. With its 23,859-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium—nearly 10,000 more than the main courts at Wimbledon or Roland Garros—Flushing Meadows is a sensory overload. Airplanes roar overhead from nearby LaGuardia, the smells of grilled food and marijuana waft through the stands, and New Yorkers bring their signature rowdy energy to every match. “I operate well in chaos,” said Frances Tiafoe, twice a semifinalist. American Ben Shelton echoed the sentiment: “I guess I find peace in the chaos.”
But not everyone thrives in the mayhem. Adrian Mannarino, playing his 15th US Open, confessed, “In my 20s, I loved coming here. There was so much to do. But the older I get, the less I enjoy being here. It’s a little bit chaotic.” Agnieszka Radwanska, former Wimbledon finalist, found the environment draining: “Everything takes so much energy from you and just sucks it up. Everything is loud. All the smells around, like the hamburgers. Everything is really noisy.”
Even the city’s quirks can be overwhelming. Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Open runner-up, admitted, “I’m not a big fan of the smell of weed when you walk around. ... Every corner of every street, you smell it.” Monica Seles, a two-time champion, summed up the challenge: “It’s something you really can’t train the brain to deal with. You just adjust to it.”
The photographer incident has become one of the most controversial talking points of the tournament, with many calling for a review of court access protocols. For the players, it was a stark reminder that at the US Open, you must conquer not only your opponent but also the unique brand of chaos that New York brings. Wimbledon may offer silence and tradition, but Flushing Meadows is all about swagger, spectacle, and surviving the storm.
As the dust settles on one of the wildest matches in recent US Open memory, the tournament rolls on—its reputation for unpredictability only further cemented. For Bonzi, it’s a career-defining win. For Medvedev, a night to forget. And for everyone else, a reminder that in New York, anything can happen—and probably will.
