Daniil Medvedev disqualified from China Open after hitting spectator in face with ball

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his match against Novak Djokovic. The incident occurred on Monday at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing when Medvedev, trailing 7-5, 5-3, swung a backhand in frustration after Djokovic hit a winner that ricocheted off the back of the court. The ball struck a spectator in the front row, who was seen clutching his eye and walking out of the venue with assistance from stadium staff. Medvedev accepted the umpire's decision without protest and expressed regret for the incident. Djokovic, who advanced to the final, described the moment as shocking and expressed concern for the spectator's well-being. He acknowledged Medvedev's feelings, noting the emotional toll of being disqualified in a major match. Djokovic will face Australia's Alex de Minaur in Tuesday's final, following de Minaur's victory after Polish player Hubert Hurkacz retired due to an adductor injury. The semi-finals concluded early in Beijing, with Hurkacz retiring at 6-4, 3-2 in his match against de Minaur. The spectator who was struck by Medvedev's ball was helped out of the arena with a hand over his left eye. This incident marks another instance where Medvedev's actions on the court have drawn attention. Previously, he faced fines and penalties for unorthodox behavior, including a $42,500 fine in 2025 and a $76,000 penalty at the Australian Open for destroying a net camera with his racquet. In April 2026, he was fined $7,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after smashing a racquet during a match against Matteo Berrettini. In the previous year, Medvedev had a notable meltdown at the U.S. Open when a photographer entered the court during his first-round match against Benjamin Bonzi. His reaction included questioning the photographer's professionalism and expressing frustration over the interruption. Djokovic, who has maintained a perfect 33-0 record at the China Open, has previously experienced a similar situation when he was disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball. Both semi-finals ended prematurely in Beijing, with Hurkacz retiring due to an adductor injury earlier in the day. De Minaur was leading 6-4, 3-2 when Hurkacz decided to retire. The nature of Hurkacz's injury remained unclear. In the women's tournament, Iga Swiatek advanced to the next round after defeating Donna Vekic in a tightly contested match. She will face Iva Jovic in the subsequent rounds. Elina Svitolina also progressed after defeating Maria Sakkari. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff continued her match against Sun Xinran, a 16-year-old Chinese wildcard who recently won the U.S. Open junior title. Elena Rybakina, the Wuhan Open champion, withdrew from the upcoming Wuhan Open due to a foot injury. She had recently lost her first match with the top ranking in Beijing to Alina Charaeva of Armenia. Rybakina stated she would take time to rest and recover. Charaeva continued her impressive performance by defeating Sonay Kartal to advance to the last 16. In the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka moved into the quarterfinals with assistance from Djokovic, while Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also advanced in their respective matches.