Daniil Medvedev drops Rafael Nadal’s name after Shanghai meltdown

Dubai: Daniil Medvedev’s on-court meltdowns have become so routine that they rarely make headlines anymore. But his latest outburst at the Shanghai Masters raised eyebrows — not just for the drama, but because it involved a pointed reference to tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

During a tense round-of-16 match against American teenager Learner Tien, Medvedev found himself at odds with chair umpire Mohammed Lahyani. The Russian, known for taking his time between points, was handed a code violation for exceeding the shot clock — something he did not take lightly.

Fuming, Medvedev brought up what he saw as a long-standing double standard. “All my life, I have been serving and waiting for Rafa for 55 seconds,” he said. “And you give me a code violation on the first occasion. I played Rafa five times and not once was he ready to return when I was ready to serve.”

Nadal’s notoriously elaborate service routine — complete with shirt tugs, hair adjustments, and multiple ball bounces — has long pushed the 25-second limit. Yet officials have often been lenient with the 22-time Grand Slam champion, something Medvedev clearly believes is unfair.

Medvedev, who was also battling cramps during the match, didn’t hold back as he confronted Lahyani. “Who are you to decide what my best effort is?” he snapped, referencing the umpire’s questioning of his physical condition.

Despite the distractions, Medvedev emerged victorious in a tight contest, edging out Tien 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (1/7), 6-4 to book his place in the quarter-finals. There, he will face world No. 7 Alex de Minaur, who earlier eased past Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2.

This isn’t the first time Medvedev has courted controversy during the 2025 season. At the US Open, he was fined $42,500 after a fiery exchange with the umpire and a heated interaction with the crowd during a shock first-round exit.