Medvedev Disqualified from China Open Semi-Final After Hitting Spectator

Daniil Medvedev Disqualified at China Open After Ball Strikes Spectator

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final match against Novak Djokovic in Beijing after a rebounding ball struck a spectator in the face. The incident occurred on Monday with Djokovic leading 7-5, 5-3, and 15-15 in the second set, forcing an abrupt end to the tournament clash as the injured fan received stadium assistance and walked out of the gallery holding their eye.

On-Court Incident and Immediate Player Reactions

The sequence began when Djokovic hit a winner past Medvedev, causing the ball to bounce off the back wall of the court. Medvedev swung at the rebounding ball, sending it flying into the front row of the stands where it struck a spectator in the left eye. Tournament officials, including the umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, spoke on court before confirming the disqualification of the third-seeded Russian.

Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all, Medvedev told reporters afterward, emphasizing that the incident was an accident and that he intended to apologize in person. He explained to the ATP Tour that he merely tried to keep the ball from flying out of the court during play.

Djokovic expressed shock over the development, drawing parallels to his own default from the 2020 US Open when he accidentally hit a line judge with a ball. I’m sure that Daniil didn’t… do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd, Djokovic told the audience in Beijing.

Semifinal Results and Parallel Matches in Beijing

The abrupt ending in the men’s draw followed another early retirement earlier on Monday. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz retired from his semifinal match against Australian Alex de Minaur due to an adductor injury while trailing 6-4, 3-2.

Djokovic Reaches China Open Final

Novak Djokovic advances directly to the China Open final following the disqualification, moving one victory away from securing his 102nd tour-level title, as reported by the ATP Tour. In the next round of the women’s competition, Iga Swiatek faces American teenager Iva Jovic, while Zheng Qinwen meets Alina Charaeva for a place in the quarterfinals.