Beijing, October 6, 2026 – Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic on Monday after hitting a ball that struck a spectator in the face. The incident has become one of the major talking points of the tournament.
The world No. 5 was trailing 7-5, 5-3 when Djokovic hit a winner. The ball rebounded off the back wall or boards, and Medvedev swiped at it with a backhand in what appeared to be frustration (he later said he was trying to keep the ball on court). The ball flew into the stands and hit a spectator sitting in the front row, who clutched his left eye and was helped out of the arena by staff.
Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official conferred before defaulting Medvedev. The Russian did not argue strongly, shook hands with Djokovic at the net, and left the court. Under ATP rules, a single serious violation can result in an immediate default; Medvedev will forfeit all ranking points and prize money earned at the event.
“Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” Medvedev said afterwards. “I’m trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologise in person and see how he feels. … It was 100% an accident. … When I saw the result I felt horrible.”
Djokovic, who was himself defaulted from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line umpire with a ball, expressed sympathy for both the spectator and Medvedev. “I hope that person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure Daniil didn’t want to do this intentionally.”
Djokovic advanced to the final, where he was scheduled to face Alex de Minaur. The incident has reignited discussion about tennis’s code-of-conduct rules regarding ball abuse and player responsibility for spectator safety.