Daniil Medvedev suffered the most lopsided defeat of his career, bowing out of the Monte Carlo Masters after a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini that lasted just 49 minutes and culminated in a dramatic on-court outburst.
Medvedev, who has long struggled on clay and previously described the surface as “a surface for losers” and “like a dog in the dirt,” failed to find any rhythm in the second-round meeting against world No. 90 Berrettini. The Italian took the first set without reply and broke immediately to open the second, beginning a run in which Medvedev won no more than two points in each of the final 11 games.
Frustration boiled over midway through the second set. After dropping the opening game of the set, Medvedev threw his racquet against the hoardings at the back of the court. The Russian then picked it up, smashed it repeatedly — six times, according to on-court footage — against the clay until it snapped in half, drawing a mixture of gasps and laughter from the crowd. The incident underscored a rare public loss of composure from a player who has often been candid about his dislike of the surface.
The result marks the first 6-0, 6-0 loss of Medvedev’s professional career, a striking stat for a player who has been a fixture near the top of the sport in recent seasons. Berrettini, ranked 90th in the world, delivered a clinical performance to advance, converting the opportunity that opened when Medvedev’s clay-court game collapsed.
The match’s brevity — under an hour — and its one-sided nature will be a notable blemish on Medvedev’s Monte Carlo campaign. It also raises fresh questions about his capacity to adapt to slower courts; his past comments about clay have been widely reported and will now be framed against this emphatic defeat. For Berrettini, the win brings a significant confidence boost and is a reminder that lower-ranked opponents can pose major threats in the unique conditions of the ATP Masters 1000 clay swing.
Organisers and spectators were left to absorb an unusual spectacle: a top-level player experiencing both a competitive rout and a high-profile equipment tantrum in the same match. Medvedev’s early exit ensures his focus will shift away from Monte Carlo as he considers the remainder of the clay season and the adjustments required to avoid a repeat on slower surfaces. Berrettini, meanwhile, moves on in the tournament after a performance that will be remembered for its clinical efficiency.