Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic after a ball he struck into the crowd hit a spectator.
Medvedev was trailing 7-5, 5-3 when the incident occurred. Officials ended the match immediately under rules governing dangerous or reckless ball abuse.
Spectator received medical attention
The spectator was struck in the eye area and received assistance before leaving the seating area. Medvedev later expressed regret and said he wanted to apologize personally.
The default means Medvedev forfeits the match and associated prize money and ranking points from the round.
Djokovic advances to final
Djokovic moved into the final, where he will face Alex de Minaur. The Serbian remains unbeaten at the China Open.
The incident recalled Djokovic’s own default from the 2020 U.S. Open after a ball he hit struck a line judge.
Sources: China Open match officials; Reuters, Oct. 5, 2026.
