Daniil Medvedev found an unconventional way to cool off from the hot and humid Cincinnati conditions as the 29-year-old hilariously opened a fridge on the court and literally put his head there.
After a first-round bye, the 2021 US Open champion had his opening Cincinnati Masters match against 85th-ranked Adam Walton scheduled for the afternoon session.
Medvedev, seeded at No. 12, won a tight first set but then his level dropped and he lost the second set. It soon went from bad to worse for the Russian, who also found himself trailing 1-4 in the third set.
At that point, Medvedev and Walton had been grinding in the brutal Cincinnati heat for more than two hours. And that led to the former world No. 1 delivering a viral moment.
Unfortunately for the Russian, putting his head in the fridge didn’t really help him since he went on to lose the next two games as Walton completed a 6-7 (0) 6-4 6-1 upset win to reach the Cincinnati third round.
Medvedev’s 2025 struggles continue
The Walton loss put Medvedev to a 26-17 record in 2025 and he didn’t manage to secure returning to the top-10 before the US Open. As you probably know, the 29-year-old also hasn’t won a title since 2023 May.
In his last eight matches, the Russian has gone 3-5. After losing in the Wimbledon first round, the former world No. 1 suggested that he was lacking confidence.
“For me it’s a matter of confidence. If not for the results in Halle, I would be here and say something is definitely missing. It’s just a matter of a couple of matches. This year I lost a lot of close calls. When I start winning them, I can climb up the rankings. For the moment I’m not that worried. If I finish the year ranked somewhere around No. 15 in the world, maybe I’ll be more worried. For the moment, I’m not,” he explained a month ago.
Medvedev may have been to three US Open finals but it is hard to think of him as a contender for a deep Flushing Meadows run this year.
The Truth Behind the Rumor
A viral video claimed to show a killer whale trainer named Jessica Radcliffe, aged around 23, being attacked and killed on stage at the so-called “Pacific Blue Marine Park.” However, investigators have confirmed that the footage was entirely AI-generated, including both visuals and audio (New York Post, The Economic Times).
In reality, no person named Jessica Radcliffe exists, nor is there any marine park called “Pacific Blue Marine Park” (The Economic Times).
There have been no official reports from the media, marine facilities, or law enforcement confirming such an incident. No news briefs, obituaries, or press statements exist related to this case (The Economic Times, New York Post).
Why Did the Video Go Viral?
The clip tapped into genuine public fear stemming from real past incidents involving killer whales—such as the death of Dawn Brancheau caused by Tilikum at SeaWorld—making it easy for many to believe before fact-checking (The Economic Times).
Its realistic visuals, coupled with sophisticated AI-generated sound design, gave the video a sense of authenticity that fueled rapid sharing without verification.
Some versions even added sensational—and baseless—details, such as claims that the whale was drawn to the trainer’s menstrual blood, a fabrication meant solely to shock and attract attention (The Economic Times).