Brad Gilbert has suggested that tennis players should ‘never’ be allowed to do one thing which Daniil Medvedev has just done in his match against Corentin Moutet.
With the two meeting in the quarter-finals of the Washington Open, there was plenty at stake between two wildly unpredictable players seeking to put together a run of form.
However, when the 2021 US Open champion rushed into a one-set lead, the result seemed a foregone conclusion.
Alas, the unpredictability of Daniil Medvedev’s form made him an easy target for a turnaround upset, which is exactly what Moutet engineered.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
He claimed the result with one of the most ridiculous match points in recent memory, as the two exchanged volleys, lobs, drop shots and deep groundstrokes.
And yet, it was what Medvedev did mid-match that really caught Gilbert’s eye.
Brad Gilbert insists tennis must make a rule change
As a former coach of Coco Gauff’s, and Andre Agassi’s once upon a time, his opinion on tennis is invaluable.
Whether that be on what a player needs to improve, or the wider concerns within the sport, his analytical approach makes him a pundit always worth listening to.
However, his claim, which he posted on X, was more of a reactionary feeling after he watched Medvedev take a medical time-out mid-way through a service game with the scores at 2-4, 15/15 in the second set.
just my 2 cents you should never be allowed to get injury TO in middle of game, especially on opponents serv,instantly you should have to forfeit the game
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) July 25, 2025
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Gilbert took issue with this, and even went as far as to suggest that, if a player has to do this, they should forfeit the game.
Medvedev’s exit marks a missed opportunity at Washington after seeds like Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Frances Tiafoe all lost.
Daniil Medvedev’s tough 2025 continues
Just when it seemed like Medvedev was getting his mojo back, he has once again been dealt an upset.
It seems to be becoming something of a theme, with the Russian having endured so many false dawns of late.
2025 in general, though, has not been anywhere near good enough for the former world number one.
He is yet to get past the second round at any of the three Grand Slams played thus far, with his last title at any level coming mid-way through 2023.
This is a drought that is showing no signs of ending either, given how poor his year has been.
Washington marked a great opportunity for Medvedev to end that barren run by reaching the semi-finals, with Moutet, on paper, being a player who should not have troubled him.
And yet, despite being a set up, he conspired to lose yet another match that few would have expected him to.
Sadly, these upsets are becoming rather commonplace for the 29-year-old.