In a dramatic turn at the China Open, World No.5 Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his semi‑final match against Novak Djokovic after a ball bounced off the back wall and struck a spectator in the eye. Medvedev was trailing 7‑5, 5‑3 when the incident occurred, and the fan was assisted by stadium staff as he left the gallery.
Medvedev later told reporters that the hit was a “100% accident” and that he was “terribly sorry” to the fan, expressing a desire to apologise in person. Djokovic, who himself was disqualified in 2020 for a similar incident, said he hoped the spectator was not badly injured and sympathised with Medvedev’s frustration.
After the default, Medvedev walked to the net to shake hands with Djokovic. The match, which had lasted just under two and a half hours, ended prematurely for both players, with Hubert Hurkacz also retiring earlier in the day due to an adductor injury. Djokovic will face Alex de Minaur in the final.
The disqualification means Medvedev will lose all points and prize money earned in his semi‑final run, a significant blow to his ranking and earnings.
