This year’s Miami Open has unraveled into chaos, with relentless disruptions derailing its rhythm from the outset. Severe weather delays forced opening-day matches off schedule and shifted play from Hard Rock Stadium, compounding the logistical turmoil. The drama escalated further when Daniil Medvedev’s shock loss to Francisco Cerúndolo was overshadowed by the chair umpire almost falling after a startling equipment malfunction.
At the Stadium Court of the Miami Open, No. 9 seed Medvedev was preparing to serve at 2-3 in the third set. The moment turned chaotic when the spider-cam suddenly malfunctioned. Its wires got tangled with the umpire’s chair mid-play.
Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani immediately reacted in panic. “One second! Wait there!” he shouted loudly. Medvedev quickly sensed danger and stepped away from the baseline. He walked straight toward the chair with concern.
Francisco Cerúndolo also moved in to check the situation. Lahyani hurriedly climbed down from his chair to the court. “Well, there’s something happening here… Medvedev straight over,” said commentator Mikey Perera.
CASI OCURRE UNA DESGRACIA
El cable de la cámara se enganchó en la silla del umpire y casi lo tira al suelo. #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/R7duza4VIG
— Todo Sobre Tenis (@Tsobretenis) March 23, 2026
“Well, I believe the spider-cam has just made contact with the umpire’s chair, so Mohamed Lahyani has come down from his perch.” ATP supervisor Gerry Armstrong rushed onto the court to assess the situation. An attendant joined him to help move the chair aside.
“It’s dangerous,” Lahyani could be heard saying during the tense moment. The risk of injury was clear. “A couple of deep breaths from Mohamed Lahyani. Gerry Armstrong there as well,” Perera added.
“Gave him a bit of a fright, didn’t it? I think it’s the wire that is maybe caught on the back of the chair,” said Naomi Broady. The cameras zoomed out as officials worked to resolve the issue. A loud cheer from the crowd signaled that things were under control.
“The camera is moving away. It’s just shifted the umpire’s chair slightly,” Perera said as calm returned. Play resumed, but there was another brief delay when Medvedev noticed the net had shifted. Just after Lahyani returned to his chair, he had to come down again to check and measure the net.
“I wonder just if the wires were pulled for the net cam, so potentially just adjusted the height of the net,” Broady said. Coverage also showed the incident from another angle.
“You’re watching on the spider-cam here, and then what has happened is that the spider-cam, which seemed to be a bit out of control on that shot in the air with Cerundolo, has collided with the umpire’s chair,” said Jonathan Overend.
“And it’s Mohamed Lahyani in the umpire’s chair. I mean, he’s alright. There are now live pictures. It’s taken a little bit of sorting out. It’s a big old heavy bit of kit, and it’s attached to wires which are controlled by remote control. But could have been very nasty, that.”
Despite the chaos, play continued with intensity. Medvedev saved break points to level the score at 4-4 in the deciding set. He denied Cerúndolo the chance to serve for the match at that stage. The pressure kept building on both players.
The Argentine then saved a break point in the next game. He held firm in a tense stretch of play. Cerúndolo eventually pulled off another upset at this year’s Miami Open. He defeated Medvedev 6-0, 4-6, 7-5.
And this was not the only disruption in the tournament. Matches on the women’s side were also halted mid-game due to separate incidents.
Victoria Mboko’s fourth-round clash with Mirra Andreeva paused due to net issues
On the WTA side of the Miami Open, the all-teenage clash between Victoria Mboko and Mirra Andreeva was suddenly halted early. The match stopped in just the third game, disrupting its initial rhythm.
Mboko was serving for a 2-1 lead when both players unexpectedly walked back to their benches. The sudden pause left players and spectators confused. “What’s going on? It’s not the end of the game,” said Jonathan Overend on commentary. The situation appeared unclear at first.
Chair umpire Marija Cicak quickly addressed the crowd. She confirmed that the net on the Butch Buchholz Court had broken and required repairs. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have to wait to fix the net, thank you,” she announced. The unexpected technical issue forced a temporary stoppage.
It took several minutes for the staff to reach the court and begin fixing the net. Cicak stood near the net alongside a ball kid and another official as repairs were carried out.
Mboko and Andreeva waited patiently on the sidelines. After eight minutes, play finally resumed with Mboko leading 40-30 in her service game. She held serve comfortably and stayed composed despite the delay. Soon after, she saved a break point to edge ahead 3-2, while Andreeva fought back to level at 3-3.
Mboko claimed the first set 7-6(4) in a tight tiebreak. Andreeva responded by winning the second set 6-4 despite a back issue and treatment, but Mboko dominated the decider 6-0.
And with this year’s Miami Open plagued by weather delays, rain interruptions, and repeated in-match halts, organizers now face mounting pressure to ensure the remaining schedule runs smoothly for the players.
