Daniil Medvedev found himself in one of the most bizarre moments of the 2026 US Open when two birds landed on top of the net during his second-round clash against American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The unusual scene unfolded midway through the second set, with the birds seemingly unfazed by the intense action around them. Medvedev and Gorzny continued their rally as the birds remained perched on the net, creating a surreal moment on court.
As the rally continued, Medvedev sent a forehand towards the corner, causing one of the birds to fly up. The Russian appeared to narrowly avoid hitting the bird with his shot, before chair umpire Timo Janzen stopped play and ordered the point to be replayed.
Medvedev was visibly frustrated with the decision, arguing that the umpire should have stopped the rally as soon as the birds appeared. He later revealed that he expected play to be halted immediately and called the decision one of the most unusual moments he had experienced at the US Open.
Despite the bizarre interruption, Medvedev kept his focus and comfortably defeated Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round. The 2021 champion fired 14 aces and moved on despite the unexpected feathered distraction, which he later described as being among the top five strangest moments of his US Open career.
