Medvedev disqualified from China Open for hitting fan with a ball

What the report says

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic in Beijing after striking a spectator with a ball during play, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing The Associated Press. The incident happened on Monday in the second set, while Djokovic was serving for the match. Officials helped the spectator, who appeared to be holding his left eye, out of the arena.

The report says the ball came back toward Medvedev after a Djokovic winner hit the advertising boards, and Medvedev’s return shot sailed into the stands in a moment described as frustration. The chair umpire and tournament supervisor then met with him on court, and Medvedev did not visibly resist the decision before shaking hands with Djokovic and leaving the match. Djokovic said afterward that he was surprised, hoped the spectator was not seriously hurt, and expressed sympathy for Medvedev, noting that disqualification in a major match is difficult.

The default ended a long and physical contest after 2 hours and 29 minutes. It also extended Djokovic’s perfect China Open record to 33-0, sending him into the final against Alex de Minaur, who advanced after Hubert Hurkacz retired injured. In broader context, on-court defaults for ball-related incidents are rare but not unprecedented in tennis; Djokovic himself was disqualified from the 2020 US Open after an accidental strike on a line judge.