Follow us on Google Discover Daniil Medvedev was at it again during the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters…
Taking on his new nemesis, Learner Tien, for a spot in the last eight, the former world number one became frustrated early on.
The 19-year-old pushed Medvedev around the court, leaving him sweating through his shirt in the brutal Shanghai conditions.
Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images
Medvedev reached his boiling point at the end of the second set, and to make matters worse, he was refused any medical attention when he cramped up as per the ATP rulebook.
Dropping the second set in a tiebreaker 6-7 [1-7], Medvedev made sure umpire Mohamed Lahyani knew exactly how he felt.
Daniil Medvedev fumes after receiving time violation
Angered by Lahyani’s decision to hand him a time violation, Medvedev launched into an explosive rant against the Swede.
“You don’t care that all my life I have been serving and waiting for Rafa [Nadal] for 55 seconds, and you give me a code violation on the first occasion,” he said.
“I played Rafa five times, and there was not one time I was ready to serve and he was ready to return. He did not get one time violation.”
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22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal grew a reputation for pushing the limits with the serve clock.
The Spaniard was rarely punished by officials, leaving many of his rivals frustrated.
Medvedev proceeded to tell Lahyani what he plans to do in the future whenever his opponent takes too long to ready themselves.
“Next match, if you are with me, if I am ready to serve and the opponent is not, I am going to call a time violation on the first occasion. I will make sure!
Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images
“All my life I have been the first one to serve and waiting for the opponent every f—— second of my life.
“You guys are crazy, man, you guys are absolutely nuts. I am shocked by you guys. You are absolutely nuts in the head.”
Another official tried to reason with Medvedev, explaining that technology has advanced since Nadal’s time on tour, but the Russian wasn’t in a reasoning mood.
Medvedev proceeded to win the third set, 6-4, securing his place in the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
The incident in the second set clearly brought up memories of his matches with Nadal, but how did Medvedev perform against the legendary Spaniard when they met on tour?
Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal’s head-to-head record
Medvedev and Nadal played six professional matches against each other between 2019 and 2022.
Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal’s head-to-head record
Nadal won their head-to-head 5-1, suffering just one defeat to Medvedev at the 2020 ATP Finals.
Their 2022 Australian Open final clash was no doubt their most memorable, as the pair gave it their all on Rod Laver Arena.
Producing one of the best comebacks in tennis history, Nadal fought back from two sets down to clinch the title.
The comeback was so remarkable, many refer to the match as the ‘Miracle in Melbourne’, as Nadal won the 21st of his 22 Grand Slam titles in style.
Most of Nadal and Medvedev’s matches were entertaining, and they required a deciding set on four occasions.
Nadal retired in 2024, bringing their brief but memorable rivalry to a close.
Looking to move on from his equally memorable fourth-round win over Tien, Medvedev will now set his sights on the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Medvedev will play Alex de Minaur in the quarters on Friday, October 10.