In one of the most shocking results of the 2026 clay-court season, world No. 10 Daniil Medvedev suffered a humiliating 0-6, 0-6 defeat at the hands of Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini during the Round of 32 at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The match, which lasted only 49 minutes, saw Medvedev completely lose his composure, culminating in a violent racquet-smashing spree that has since gone viral.
Medvedev’s frustration boiled over early in the second set after dropping his opening service game to fall behind 0-2. The Russian proceeded to smash his racquet against the red clay baseline seven times in rapid succession. Not satisfied with the mangled frame, he hurled it toward the back-court tarp before retrieving it and repeatedly bashing it until it was small enough to be stuffed into a courtside trash bin. The Monte-Carlo crowd responded with a mix of gasps and sarcastic cheers as the former US Open champion received a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
A Statistical Nightmare
The scoreline—a “double bagel”—marks the first time in Medvedev’s career that he has failed to win a single game in a tour-level match. The statistics painted a bleak picture of the Russian’s performance:
- Service Struggles: Medvedev served 5 double faults and put only 36% of his first serves in play.
- Unforced Errors: He committed 27 unforced errors in just 12 games.
- Point Dominance: Berrettini won 50 of the 67 points played, leaving Medvedev with just 17 points total.
Former doubles world No. 1 Jamie Murray, commentating for Sky Sports, didn’t hold back his criticism, suggesting the outburst felt “just for the show.” Murray noted, “I think he’ll be pretty embarrassed walking into the locker room… if you can win in Rome [as Medvedev did in 2023], you can play on clay.”
The Unexpected Apology
While the tennis world was focused on Medvedev’s meltdown, Berrettini provided a moment of levity and class. After securing the win, he signed the broadcast camera with the message, “Scusa Carlo V” (Sorry Carlo V).
Berrettini later clarified that he was not apologizing to his opponent, but to famous Italian actor and screenwriter Carlo Verdone. Verdone is a vocal admirer of Medvedev’s “lopsided” playing style and has formed a personal friendship with the Russian. “I know he’s a fan of mine, but Medvedev is his favorite player,” Berrettini told Sky Sports Italy. “I don’t know who he was rooting for today, so I apologized to him.”
With this win, Berrettini becomes only the fifth player since 1973 to defeat a top-10 opponent with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline, joining the likes of David Goffin (2016).