The USTA is pushing back on the notion that the photographer who interrupted the Daniil Medvedev-Benjamin Bonzi match wasn’t told by security to stay put.
The photographer, Selcuk Acar, told the Daily Mail that he was given instruction that the match was stopped.
“I’m a victim and totally innocent,” Acar said. “This incident has already turned into a lynching, and although I’m innocent, I’ve suffered greatly.
“If there’s a camera there, if it’s monitored, it will show that I returned to the official twice and didn’t enter.”
The USTA insisted that the photographer has been instructed to stay in place by US Open security and Acar disregarded the instructions and improperly entered the court between serves on match point.
“The Chair Umpire also instructed the photographer to immediately sit down, and these instructions were also disregarded,” a spokesperson said. “The photographer’s credential was revoked for the 2025 US Open.”
With Bonzi serving for the match in the third set, Acar stepped onto the court, and the match was paused. Umpire Greg Allensworth gave Bonzi a second first serve, which drew the ire of the 13th-seeded Medvedev and the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd.
A 6:24 delay ensued, and Medvedev ended up winning the third set, although Bonzi prevailed in five, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4
