Daniil Medvedev Disqualified From China Open After Striking Spectator With Ball

World No 5 Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open following an incident where he hit a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic.

The Russian player was trailing 7-5, 5-3 on Monday when Novak Djokovic hit a winner that caused the ball to ricochet off the back of the court. In frustration, Daniil Medvedev swung a backhand, sending the ball flying into the front row of the stands and striking a spectator.

The injured fan was left clutching his eye and required assistance from stadium staff as he walked out of the gallery. Following discussions with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Daniil Medvedev accepted the decision without protest and walked to the net to shake hands with his Serbian opponent at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing.

“Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” Daniil Medvedev stated. “I'm trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologise in person and see how he feels. I just hope he's OK. That's the most important. I just really care about him right now.”

Novak Djokovic acknowledged the similarity to his own disqualification from the 2020 US Open, where he was ejected for accidentally striking a line judge in the throat. “It's a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured,” Novak Djokovic said. “I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match.”

The tournament day saw both semi-finals end prematurely in Beijing. Earlier, Hubert Hurkacz retired due to an adductor injury while Australian Alex de Minaur was leading 6-4, 3-2.

Daniil Medvedev has a history of disciplinary issues on the tennis court, including previous fines and outbursts at the US Open, Australian Open, and Monte Carlo.