Medvedev Loses His Head Over Balls: World No.11's Explicit Tantrum During Rotterdam Loss | WATCH

Last Updated:February 10, 2026, 12:28 IST

Daniil Medvedev clashed with officials over HEAD balls' shape during his Rotterdam Open loss to Ugo Humbert.

Daniil Medvedev has never been one to suffer in silence on a tennis court, and Rotterdam was no exception.

Playing his first tournament since the Australian Open, the world No. 11 found himself locked in another on-court confrontation on Monday — this time over the shape of the tennis balls.

Midway through his Rotterdam Open first-round match against Ugo Humbert, Medvedev called the tournament supervisor onto the court after losing a tight first-set tiebreak.

His issue? The HEAD balls being used.

“HEAD balls, are they round?" Medvedev asked incredulously. “It is round? Are you sure because I see it not round. I see it with a bit of… how you say it… narrow."

He continued, examining the ball closely: “It’s a bit of… let’s see, scars. So it’s not super round. Isn’t it strange?"

Medvedev didn’t stop there.

“So I think maybe we should consider not playing with HEAD balls," he added. “HEAD Tour XT balls is not round so we should not be playing with it, nobody should be buying it."

The former Grand Slam champion’s frustration only escalated. At the next changeover, he turned his attention to the chair umpire with a profanity-laced rant.

“These balls are horrible. Please delete these f—ing balls from this f—ing life," Medvedev said. “The balls are made for… people who love to please… people who love to please with a little bit of saliva."

Not long after, Medvedev’s night — and tournament — was over.

Humbert held his nerve to close out a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 win and advance to the second round, where he will face either Marton Fucsovics or Dutch wildcard Guy Den Ouden.

For Medvedev, the focus now shifts quickly. The Russian will head straight to Doha for the ATP Qatar Open next week, where a stacked field — including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic — awaits him.

News sports tennis Medvedev Loses His Head Over Balls: World No.11's Explicit Tantrum During Rotterdam Loss | WATCH

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