Losing finalist at last Sunday’s Australian Open tennis championship Daniil Medvedev branded a partisan crowd as “idiots with empty brains” after he went down to Rafael Nadal who became the first player to win a record 21 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal came back from two sets down to beat the Russian Medvedev 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a thrilling affair at the Rod Laver Arena.
The crowd in Melbourne was largely in support of Nadal, and it was obvious to see and hear while Nadal’s winning shots were cheered loudly by almost all fans, while celebrations of Medvedev’s successes were more muted, and he was subjected to sporadic jeers throughout the five-hour-long epic.
The world number two was also occasionally shouted at before his first and second serves, for which chair umpire John Blom warned the crowd.
After conceding the third set, a furious Medvedev made his feelings about his treatment clear to Blom. “They are idiots. No brains, empty brains,” he said. “Probably in their life.”
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev again hit out at the crowd, calling them “disrespectful” and suggesting he was treated in such a way because of his nationality.
“Before Rafa serves, even in the fifth set, there would be somebody, and I would even be surprised, like one guy screaming, ‘C’mon, Daniil,’” he said.
[But] a thousand people would be like, ‘Tsss, tsss, tsss.’ That sound. It’s disappointing. It’s disrespectful. I’m not sure after 30 years I’m going to want to play tennis.
“I remember there was a lot of talk, ‘Young generation should do better.’ I guess these people were lying because, every time I stepped on the court in these big matches, I really didn’t see much people who wanted me to win. It’s cumulative. But tonight was like the top of the mountain.”
Asked whether he thought his treatment by the crowd was influenced by his nationality, the Russian said: “I think nationality plays a key. I can definitely see when you playing somebody from the other country, they would go for them and not for Russian, or something like this. (Business Insider)