{"id":101006,"date":"2025-08-27T14:39:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/101006\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T14:39:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:39:07","slug":"us-open-pushes-back-against-photographer-who-walked-onto-tennis-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/101006\/","title":{"rendered":"US Open Pushes Back Against Photographer Who Walked onto Tennis Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>Selcuk Acar moments before being ejected from the Louis Armstrong Stadium. <\/p>\n

After Selcuk Acar, the photographer at the center of this week\u2019s US Open controversy, claimed that he was the \u201cvictim and totally innocent,\u201d<\/a> the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has refuted his argument. <\/p>\n

On Monday evening, Acar, who works for the Turkish news agency Anadolu, was named as the photographer who walked onto the court during match point between Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi after he spoke to the Daily Mail. <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know and see if Medvedev saw me,\u201d Acar said. \u201cI\u2019m not a photojournalist that can make such a mistake. I\u2019m a victim and totally innocent. This incident has already turned into a lynching, and although I\u2019m innocent, I\u2019ve suffered greatly.\u201d <\/p>\n

But after Acar made those comments, the USTA pushed back on the photographer\u2019s assertions, insisting that security had told him to stay in place. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe photographer disregarded these instructions and improperly entered the court between serves on match point,\u201d a statement reads. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chair Umpire also instructed the photographer to immediately sit down, and these instructions were also disregarded. The photographer\u2019s credential was revoked for the 2025 US Open.\u201d <\/p>\n

INSANE scenes in the Medvedev & Bonzi match at US Open<\/p>\n

A cameraman was trying to leave after Bonzi missed his 1st serve. <\/p>\n

The umpire gave Bonzi a 1st serve. <\/p>\n

Daniil: \u201cAre you a man? Are you a man? why are you shaking? What\u2019s wrong huh? Guys he wants to leave. He gets paid by\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/nzlqgoWxre<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

PetaPixel understands that photographers are usually held at the entrance Acar appeared from while the game is active. <\/p>\n

Most US Open-accredited photographers know the rules around entering and exiting the court, so it seems that Acar was either unaware of the rule or deliberately ignored it. <\/p>\n

Acar\u2019s appearance on the court sparked pandemonium. Bonzi had just missed his first serve while on match point when the photographer jogged slowly from the corner of the court so he could be in the center, opposite the umpire. There were reports that he did so to get a clear shot of Bonzi celebrating his win.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot now, get off the court, please,\u201d chair umpire Greg Allensworth said into his mic as Acar entered. \u201cLadies and gentlemen, because of the delay caused by an outside interference, first serve has been granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

After handing Bonzi back his first serve, a call which essentially gave Bonzi three attempts at winning the match, Medvedev sprinted over to the umpire to protest the call while also encouraging the crowd to boo and jeer. He accused the umpire of wanting to go home early. \u201cHe gets paid by the match, not by the hour,\u201d Medvedev shouted into a broadcast camera.<\/p>\n

Medvedev then continued to rile up the crowd, causing a delay of six minutes on match point. It went on so long that Medvedev eventually asked the crowd to calm down, despite inflaming the situation initially. <\/p>\n

During the furore, Acar was escorted out of the arena. A Reuters photographer captured the moment<\/a> he was ushered out.<\/p>\n

When play finally got underway again, with the crowd still clamoring, Bonzi failed to capitalize on match point as Medvedev saved it and won the set. However, the world number 13 would ultimately lose out to Bonzi which sparked a further meltdown from him at the end of the game as he smashed his racket on the floor.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>Acar was removed from the stadium. <\/p>\n

Daniil Medvedev looking totally distraught after his loss to Bonzi at the U.S. open. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s smashing his racquet and just sitting on the court. <\/p>\n

Brutal loss to swallow. <\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/CYvceKNR2M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Afterward, Medvedev said he didn\u2019t blame the photographer for what happened, reserving his ire for the umpire. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was not upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision,\u201d Medvedev says, per AP<\/a>. \u201cThe delay from the photographer was probably four seconds and a half. I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s enough for a (first) serve.\u201d<\/p>\n