A video circulating on social media shows tennis player Daniil Medvedev walking right up to a heckler who called him a "loser." The incident purportedly occurred following Medvedev's defeat against Nick Kyrgios in Montreal on August 10.
In the clip shared by a Twitter fan account, we can see the Russian athlete turning around to confront the person who disrespected him as he was leaving the competition.
Security staff came between the competitor and the jeerer but it doesn't appear any physical interaction occurred. Other people in the crowd shout for the man to apologize. The interaction lasted less than one minute.
Medvedev's opponent, Nick Kyrgios, responded on Twitter and denounced the lack of empathy demonstrated by the heckler. While many took his side in the comments, others criticized Medvedev for taking it too seriously.
Disgusting behaviour ☹️ This is the best we have in the sport, fans need to show some respect. https://t.co/p0MG6vF4Xn
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 14, 2022
The same Twitter account offered a translation of Medvedev's supposed response in Russian to the incident during a press conference.
"It doesn't matter, after the match, during the tournament, on the street or at home – if someone laughs at me, I will answer," the player reportedly said.
"I came up and asked: 'What's the problem? Why do you say that? Don't do that.'"
"The surrounding people asked him to apologize. But it doesn't matter. I won't let anyone shout nasty things at me, I won't keep silent and I won't pass by. His father bothered me the most. When I approached his son, he also started saying nasty things to me."
The athlete is said to have concluded by promising to raise his own children differently.
