Daniil Medvedev has crashed out of the French Open in the first round for the seventh time in his career. The player, who’s often voiced his aversion to clay, couldn’t hold his final-set lead against Australian opponent Adam Walton in the five-set loss in brutal conditions.
During the match, Medvedev’s wife, Daria, tried to cheer him on with some words of advice. The couple’s tension was palpable and was a source of amusement for fans watching the action on screen.
Daniil Medvedev Knocked Out of the French Open in the First Round
Medvedev’s history at the French Open is rather unremarkable. In his ten appearances, the Russian has reached the fourth round twice (2022 and 2024) and the quarterfinal once (2021). He hasn’t won a single match in the rest of the editions. However, courtesy of his form at the Italian Open, where he pushed eventual champion Jannik Sinner to three sets in the semifinal, fans were hopeful of a deep run in Paris.
On Tuesday, Medvedev’s French Open dream was cut short in a three hours and 23 minutes roller-coaster against Walton, which concluded with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 score. Not only were tensions running high, the temperature was soaring, too, reaching upward of 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit).
During the match, Medvedev and his wife Daria were heard squabbling over his level multiple times. At one point, the former World No. 1 was seemingly bothered by the hot conditions, to which his wife said in Russian, “It’s hot for everybody. Everybody is suffering. You need to behave!”
Medvedev responded, “When I start finding the court, I’ll start to behave.” The player’s coach, Thomas Johansson, was actively providing inputs but took a backseat during the couple’s back and forth.
“Can he stop serving on the line?” Medvedev reportedly complained later on in the match.
“He hadn’t hit a single first serve in this game before that,” his wife wittily responded.
😂😭 LOS DIÁLOGOS ENTRE MEDVEDEV Y SU ESPOSA MEDVEDEVA.
— Daria: “Hace calor para todos. Todos lo estamos sufriendo. ¡Tienes que comportarte!”
— Daniil: “Cuando empiece a meter la pelota, empezaré a comportarme.”
💀☠️💀 pic.twitter.com/JS5BFm7c86
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) May 26, 2026
This is Walton’s second win in three matches against Medvedev, having previously beaten him at the 2025 Cincinnati Open. With his exit, the sixth seed has freed up a place in the top half of the French Open draw. He was placed in Jannik Sinner’s half and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s quarter.
MORE: Daniil Medvedev and Wife’s Bizarre Mid-Match Argument Emerges at Italian Open
Walton now faces American Zachary Svajda, who secured a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-5 win against Alexei Popyrin. The winner will face either Francisco Cerundolo or Hugo Gaston in the third round.
