Daniil Medvedev explodes in anger, shattering racket and camera during intense meltdown to escape Australian Open upset.

On Tuesday, Daniil Medvedev, a top-ranked tennis pro, destroyed a camera and his tennis racket during a first-round match in the Australian Open against a wild-card entry ranked 418th, who threatened to upset him in the Grand Slam tournament.

During the third set, Medvedev lost a 13-stroke back-and-forth with Samrej, falling behind 40-15. As Medvedev stood at the net, Samrej's shot hit the net and went beyond Medvedev's reach in a direction he did not anticipate.

A three-time Australian Open finalist, Medvedev, smashed his racket several times on the net after becoming enraged.

A camera and his racket were destroyed by Medvedev as he moved through his path.

The chair umpire issued Medvedev a code violation warning for racket abuse. The staff hurried to fix the broken camera and tidy up the court.

Medvedev lost the first set and appeared to be facing elimination, but he recovered and won the next two sets 6-1, 6-2, to advance to the second round.

"I would have lost this match in the end of last year," Medvedev said after the match. "New year, new energy."

In the 2025 season, Medvedev aims to begin with a victory in Melbourne. As a three-time finalist, including in the previous year's tournament, he has yet to win the Australian Open. His main competitor will be Djokovic, who holds the record for the most Australian Open titles among men with 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Subscribe to the Planet Chronicle Sports Huddle newsletter and follow Planet Chronicle Digital's sports coverage on X.