"I asked for forgiveness" - Daniil Medvedev issues statement after accusing chair umpire of targeting Russians in shocking Dubai outburst

Daniil Medvedev had a controversial exchange with chair umpire Adel Nour during his quarterfinal loss at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Medvedev reflected on the incident in the aftermath of his 6-2, 6-7(7), 5-7 defeat at the hands of Tallon Griekspoor,

Medvedev misbehaved with Nour at one point during the match, and the chair umpire gave the Russian a code violation. Incensed, the ATP No. 6 accused Nour of "double standards against Russians." The umpire then asked Medvedev not to make such comments. Nour rejected Medvedev's accusation and claimed that he treats all players equally and fairly.

In the aftermath of his disappointing exit from Dubai, Daniil Medvedev confessed to Championat that he had overstepped the mark.

"No, I went too far, of course. We already talked after the match. I've known this referee for a long time, and it's not even about him. All the referees on the ATP tour don't care where you're from, who you are. They're just trying to do their job the best they can. It's clear that someone will always be unhappy, so I just said that out of the blue," Daniil Medvedev told Championat.

The Russian also claimed that he had rendered an apology to Nour over his behavior.

"We talked, I apologized. I said that, to be honest, I don’t remember everything I said, that’s true. And I’m not sure if there was something where I said something offensive, but if there was, I asked for forgiveness for it. I respect him as a judge. I won’t say what the problem was. Sometimes during a meeting, in the heat of the moment, things happen that seem unfair to you," he added.

The 2021 US Open champion also took a swipe at the ATP over the pace of the balls being used at the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

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"Ridiculous how slow the balls were" - Daniil Medvedev's stinging criticism of ATP in the wake of Dubai defeat

Daniil Medvedev (Source: Getty)

In recent years, Daniil Medvedev has complained on multiple occasions about the pace of the courts and the balls on the ATP Tour. He was at it again following his loss to Griekspoor in Dubai, saying during his post-match press conference:

"I do think that (in) the last game we played it was ridiculous how slow the balls were. I do not understand how it’s not a five-seven ball change on the ATP Tour. I don’t get it."

The Russian later added:

"Again, the balls when fly through the air are slower, it [gives] an advantage to the guys who volley — because they have more time to react, to adapt to the shot that is going to them. When they have more time, that’s a big disadvantage (for the returners). But the ATP doesn’t seem to care."

Medvedev's on-court performances have been marred by inconsistencies and angry meltdowns of late, and his quest for his 21st ATP Tour-level title goes on. The Russian's last title triumph came at the 2023 Italian Open. Since then, he has reached several finals, including the finals of the 2023 US Open and the 2024 Australian Open, but he has come up short on every occasion.