Andy Roddick has weighed in on Daniil Medvedev’s outburst during the 2024 Laver Cup, comparing it to Novak Djokovic’s default at the 2020 US Open, highlighting inconsistencies in tennis rules. On Day 3 of the Laver Cup, Medvedev, playing against Ben Shelton, had a frustrated moment during a first-set tiebreak, where he threw his racket toward the stands after giving up two set points. He received only a warning, as his racket did not hit anyone, which left Team World unhappy. Frances Tiafoe even questioned the decision, but the umpire clarified that no default was warranted since no one was struck.
Roddick, in a discussion on Tennis Channel, humorously referenced his own tutorial on how to throw a racket safely, joking that his aim was to help players avoid fines. He also noted the inconsistency between Djokovic’s default for accidentally hitting a lineswoman and Medvedev’s more intentional but less consequential outburst. While Djokovic’s incident was unintentional, Medvedev’s behavior was deliberate but did not result in the same level of punishment.
Should Medvedev have been defaulted for a racquet toss? 🤔#LaverCup | #TCLive pic.twitter.com/OtlTjZlOtn
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 22, 2024
Brad Gilbert, Medvedev’s former coach, echoed Roddick’s sentiment, suggesting that Medvedev was fortunate to avoid a default. Gilbert urged a reassessment of the rules and recommended players rewatch Roddick’s tutorial to avoid similar incidents. Medvedev acknowledged his poor behavior but maintained that since his racket didn’t hit anyone, the decision not to disqualify him was fair.
Meddy Bear 🐻 was pretty lucky 🍀 on that racket Chuck, maybe at some point his rule needs to be relooked at more closely then umpires referee decisions
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) September 22, 2024
Despite losing the match to Shelton, Medvedev’s Team Europe went on to win the Laver Cup, with key victories from Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.
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