Russia’s Medvedev fined after ball-boy antics, middle-finger gesture in fiesty US Open 3rd-round win

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has been slapped with a $9,000 fine for his behavior during his fractious US Open third-round match against Spain’s Feliciano Lopez.

Medvedev, 23, clashed with the New York crowd during the match and gave a memorable interview afterwards in which he defiantly thanked jeering fans for giving him “the energy to win.”

The Russian fifth seed was handed a code violation by umpire Damien Dumusois when he snatched a towel out of the hand of a ball boy and tossed it away.

He then threw his racket into the center of the court and made a middle-finger gesture toward the crowd, causing widespread booing when it was picked up on replays shown on the big screen at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Dumusois said during the match that he could not issue further sanction as he had not seen the issue first time round, and had only viewed it on the replay.

Organizers have now acted, however, handing Medvedev a $5,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct and a $4,000 sanction for a visible obscenity.

The Russian’s post-match interview, conducted with boos ringing in his ears, went viral as he raised his arms in defiance at the crowd, telling them: “I want all of you to know, when you go to sleep at night, I won because of you.

“Again, all I can say, all the energy you’re giving me right now, I want you to know, it will give me energy for my next five matches. The more you do this, the more I will win for you guys. Thank you.”

He later appeared slightly more repentant over his actions, saying that he was "working on myself and hopefully I will be better next time."

Medvedev beat Lopez in four sets and next meets German qualifier Dominik Koepfer in the fourth round on Sunday, and can expect to face more hostility from the Flushing Meadows crowd.

The young Russian is on a roll, having contested three finals in August and winning the Cincinnati Masters on the eve of the US Open, propelling him into the world’s top five for the first time.

He is seen as the most likely of the ‘Next Gen’ players to challenge the ‘Big Three’ Grand Slam dominance of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.