Selcuk Acar, a freelance journalist and photographer, who was caught at the centre of the Russian tennis star Medvedev’s meltdown controversy at the 2025 US Open, has finally broken his silence. Acar told Daily Mail that “this incident has already turned into a lynching, and although I’m innocent, I’ve suffered greatly.”
Acar spoke to the Daily Mail after causing Daniil Medvedev to have an emotional meltdown at the Louis Armstrong Stadium court while facing Benjamin Bonzi in the first round on Sunday night.
How did the photographer trigger Medvedev’s meltdown?
The situation unfolded in the third set when Acar walked onto the court while Bonzi was serving. Bonzi had already missed his first serve, but play was stopped as Acar entered, and the chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, allowed Bonzi to take another first serve. That serve came at a crucial moment, as it was match point against Medvedev, the 13th seed.
Medvedev was furious with the decision, leading to a heated argument with the umpire that delayed the match for nearly seven minutes.
What did the Photographer say?
‘I’m not a photojournalist that can [make] such a mistake’: The photographer stated in his defence
Later, Acar said the incident had unfairly damaged his reputation and insisted he did nothing wrong. He claimed that cameras would show he had returned to an official twice and had not entered the court on his own. According to him, a security officer told him the match was stopped, which is why he stepped forward.
Acar also highlighted his long career, saying he has covered major global events such as US Presidential visits, NATO summits, and the FIFA World Cup. He stressed that he is an experienced professional who would never make such a mistake.
The USTA also issued a statement after the controversy, saying the photographer was told by US Open security to remain in his place but ignored the directions and entered the court during match point. They added that the chair umpire also ordered him to sit down immediately, which he did not follow. As a result, his credential for the 2025 US Open was revoked.
Speaking about the photographer, Medvedev said that he was not upset with the photographer but with the Match Empire’s decision. “The delay from the photographer was probably four and a half. I’m not sure it’s enough for a (first) serve,” the Russian tennis player added.
Despite powering through the next two sets after the incident, Medvedev conceded a hard loss to the Frenchman who won the match 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 over the Russian athlete to move on to the second round, where he’ll face American Marcos Giron.