"Rybakina reached AO final from parking lot as a reigning Slam champ" - Tennis fans irked by Daniil Medvedev complaining about "small court" in Madrid

Daniil Medvedev was on the receiving end of criticism from tennis fans after he complained about the small dimensions of the Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Court during his fourth-round loss at the 2023 Madrid Open.

The Russian was beaten 7-6(1), 6-4 by unseeded compatriot Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday, May 2. Medvedev managed a total of 12 winners over the course of two sets, compared to 28 from his opponent, who jumped to No. 89 from No. 121 in the ATP rankings after reaching the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 tournament.

The crowd booed Medvedev during the first-set tiebreak, which made him stop playing. The 2021 US Open champion expressed his disappointment at his match being scheduled on a smaller court instead of the center court — Manolo Santana. He told an official during the match that there was not enough space behind the baseline for him to return as he would have liked.

"Why do I have this disadvantage when I am No 2 [seed]? I don't understand. It's a little bit strange, right?" Medvedev said.

Fans were unimpressed by his behavior and his demands for a center-court match, saying that he needed to stop acting like a child if things didn't go his way.

"If this is exactly what happened, then fgs.He'ss an amazing player but he really needs to grow the f*ck up. These antics on court aren't funny anymore. He's a grown-a** man and needs to stop acting like a man child," a fan tweeted.

"Daniil you ain’t sh*t on clay, as you’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen at any given opportunity, acting like you’re too good to grace the surface w/ your divine presence, guess they finally listened, hun. Why shouldn’t they put you on court 17 with that kind of attitude?" a user wrote.

"He's really the [Andy] Murray of this gen with his incessant whining, [Aryna] Sabalenka is a much better player on clay and is deservedly playing on the 1st court," another tweet read.

Here are some more reactions:

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What happened the last time Daniil Medvedev faced Aslan Karatsev on clay?

Daniil Medvedev (L) and Aslan Karatsev

Daniil Medvedev and Aslan Karatsev have faced each other thrice now, with the latter leading 2-1 head-to-head.

Their first meeting came in the round of 32 at the 2021 Italian Open, when Karatsev defeated the third-ranked star 6-2, 6-4. Medvedev struggled on the red dirt, which urged him to request an ATP supervisor to default him.

"Please default me. I don't want to be here. Worst surface ever, for me. I don't judge others' opinions. You like to be in the dirt like a dog? It's okay. I don't judge," Daniil Medvedev said.

Medvedev has won four titles so far this season and has a win-loss record of 33-5.