Daniil Medvedev faced an unexpected interruption during his match against Sebastian Gorzny at the US Open 2026, but the seventh seed remained unfazed, securing a dominant victory to progress to the third round.

Midway through the second set, two birds landed on the net, prompting a replay of the point after play continued for several strokes. Medvedev, visibly surprised by the chair umpire’s decision, expressed his frustration, stating, "This is very bad."

Despite the unusual distraction, Medvedev quickly regained his focus, wrapping up the match with a score of 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. He noted that the bird incident ranked among his top five unusual experiences at the tournament.

Reflecting on the moment, he remarked:

I thought the point would stop straight away but it didn't. We played for 45 seconds and the moment I hit the winner we say stop.

Looking ahead, Medvedev will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the third round.

Gorzny, who made his Grand Slam debut, has overcome significant challenges, including a severe illness at a young age that left him in an induced coma. The 30-year-old has shown resilience, earning his spot in the main draw through the USTA American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoff. His journey to this point has been remarkable, considering he was given only a 5% chance to live after his health scare.