Daniil Medvedev threatened to quit his Shanghai Masters semi-final against Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar after a dispute over a replay.
The Russian wanted officials to show Jodar’s previous shot on the big screen, arguing that he missed the ball because he believed his opponent’s shot had gone out.
However, chair umpire Adel Nour initially refused, saying the rules allowed only the final shot of the rally to be replayed.
Medvedev threatens to retire over replay dispute
Medvedev continued arguing and insisted that Jodar’s forehand was the last valid shot because he thought his own return had gone out. He became increasingly frustrated when the umpire explained the rules.
“It’s out. This is the last shot of the rally. I want to see. I thought it was out, that’s why I missed. I’m just asking you to see the ball, that’s it,” he explained.
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When the official refused to change his decision, Medvedev threatened to walk away from the match.
“I’m not moving, huh? I can retire, I don’t care. The ATP gives me fine anyway. I will retire. Show me the ball, otherwise I’m out of this court.”
The umpire eventually contacted officials and arranged for Jodar’s shot to be shown on the screen, despite initially saying the rules did not allow it.
Commentators question Medvedev’s actions
The incident drew criticism from tennis commentators, who wondered whether Medvedev was using the argument to get extra time to recover during the match.
“He has fallen for it hook, line and sinker,” Barry Cowan said on the world feed.
Lee Goodall also suggested Medvedev might have been trying to buy time because he appeared more tired than Jodar.
On Sky Sports, Naomi Broady questioned the umpire’s decision to give in to the threat.
“I’d love him to call his bluff. I would love him to just call his bluff. I also don’t know if that is protocol [to only show the last shot],” Broady said.
Despite the interruption, Jodar went on to defeat Medvedev 6-3, 6-4, booking his place in the Shanghai Masters final.