US Open star claims "player is going to die" after "screaming" for doctor
Daniil Medvedev warned “a player is doing to die” in the horrendous heat and humidity of New York.
The 2021 US Open champion needed medical treatment and took his asthma inhaler as temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit during his Russian derby with Andrey Rublev. During the third set, the world No.3 complained to the courtside camera: “A player is going to die then you are going to see.”
The No.3 seed was facing Rublev in Flushing Meadows on Wednesday with a place in the semi-final up for grabs. Medvedev had beaten No.13 seed Alex de Minaur in the round of 16 to set up the clash against Rublev. However, during the match, Medvedev was clearly struggling with the hot and humid conditions in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
TV footage showed Medvedev being seemingly irritated by the conditions he and his opponent were playing in. During the break between games, he could be seen in conversation with the chair umpire while sitting in his seat about his health.
“I said ‘doctor’. I screamed ‘doctor’ three times,” Medvedev could be heard saying to the umpire. The umpire then initially responded by saying that he could not hear what Medvedev was saying.
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Medvedev then repeated the word “Doctor” to the umpire. The umpire then responded by saying: “Doctor? I thought you said ‘water’.”
Eventually, Medvedev received medical attention, with Rublev also receiving medical help due to the effects of the heat and the humidity. After taking a two-set lead, Medvedev received medical assistance to cope with the conditions.
Medvedev took off his shirt and wrapped a towel around his neck as he sat in his chair in an attempt to cool down at the end of the second set. Then after the third game in the third set, the 27-year-old appeared to be handed an inhaler by a medic to help him with the discomfort in his body.
Daniil Medvedev struggled during his US Open quarter-final match due to the hot and humid conditions (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)The No.3 finally took his fifth match to win 6-4 6-3 6-4 and reach his fourth US Open semi-final. He will face either defending champions Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverez in the last four for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It was brutal,” said Medvedev. “The only good thing I can see in these conditions is that we both suffer. It was tough for both of us. Honestly at the end of the first set, I couldn’t see the ball anymore. I was playing with sensations, tried to go for it and run and catch the balls. “We were tired all the time. It was super tough to win.”
Former US Davis Cup commentator Patrick McEnroe said on ESPN: “It brought to me a lot of questions over whether tennis should be played in these conditions. I didn’t enjoy watching the guys suffer.”
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