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The photographer in the center of a tennis star’s meltdown at the 2025 US Open says he is a “victim and totally innocent” as his legitimate for the tournament has been revoked.
Selcuk Acar, a freelance journalist and photojournalist, spoke with the Daily Mail after getting Daniil Medvedev to lose it on the field at Louis Armstrong Stadium while facing Benjamin Bonzi in the first round on Sunday night.
An incident happened in the third set when Acar stepped on the field with bonzi serving. Bonzi missed the first serving, but the match was paused when Acar was heading into court between attempts.
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Daniil Medvedev from Russia, movements, after a photographer ran on the field during a match against Benjamin Bonzi from France, in the first round of the US Open Tennis Championships, Sunday 24 August 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Chairman Umpire Greg Allensworth gave Bonzi another first serving, which at that time was to the match against the 13th seeded Medvedev.
Medvedev lost it on Allensworth, and there was an almost seven minute delay with both men walking back and forth on the field.
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“This incident has already turned into a lynch, and although I’m innocent, I have a lot,” Acar told the business. “If there is a camera there, if monitored, it shows that I returned to the official twice and did not come in.”
Acar added that a security officer told him “the fight has stopped” before heading into the field. He also said he has covered several high-profile events during his career, including presidential visits in Europe and NATO summit. Acar also claimed to have done work at the FIFA World Cup.
“I’m not a photojournalist who can [make] Such a mistake, ”he said.
Nevertheless, the united states of the United States revoked Acars legitimation for the tournament.
“The photographer had been asked to remain in place by us open security,” they said in a statement according to the New York Post.
Daniil Medvedev from Russia, bottom right, responds next to the chairman’s judge, Greg Allensworth, Left, after a photographer ran on the field during a match against Benjamin Bonzi, from France, in the first round of the US Open Tennis Championships, Sunday 24 August 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
“The photographer ignored these instructions and entered the court wrongly between serving on match points. The chairman’s judge also instructed the photographer to immediately sit down, and these instructions were also ignored. The photographer’s credentials were revoked for the 2025 US Open.”
Meanwhile, Medvedev Ballist went on Allensworth and also tried to get the audience involved. With his arms raised in the air, he encouraged them to boo.
“He wants to go home guys,” Medvedev was heard about saying. “He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the fight, not by the hour.”
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After the match, Medvedev said it was not ACAR’s situation that bothered him, but rather the decision to make Bonzi’s first serving again.
“I wasn’t sorry for the photographer. I was sorry for the decision,” said Medvedev. “The delay from the photographer was probably four and a half seconds. I’m not sure it’s enough for a (first) serving.”
Bonzi believed on the other side that his opponent crossed the line.
“I mean the rule is the rule. The guy went on the field between two serves,” Bonzi said. “I mean it’s not my call to say first serving. And I think, yes, Daniil started it and he put oil on the fire.”
Daniil Medvedev responds after losing the first two sets against Benjamin Bonzi from France during their men’s singles first round match on day one of the 2025 US Open in Usta Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in the flush neighborhood of Queens Borough of New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)
While Medvedev was able to save the third set and the fourth, Bonzi was able to remove him in the fifth set to secure the huge uprising of the Russian veteran.
The Frenchman won the match 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 over Medvedev to move on to the second round, where he faces American Marcos Giron.
