Daniil Medvedev pays for rage as he injures fan, gets disqualified from China Open
Daniil Medvedev paid a heavy price for a moment of frustration as his China Open campaign ended in dramatic fashion, with the Russian disqualified after hitting a ball into the stands and injuring a spectator during his semifinal against Novak Djokovic on Monday.
The incident came with Djokovic serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3. After a point, Medvedev struck a ball towards the back of the court in frustration after it had rebounded towards him. The ball flew into the first row and appeared to hit a spectator near the left eye.
The fan was immediately given medical assistance before being escorted away from the stands. Play was halted as officials spoke to Medvedev, who was eventually defaulted from the match.
βItβs a shock to be honest. I hope the person isnβt badly injured. But at the same time, I feel bad for Daniil. Iβm sure he didnβt want to do it intentionally,β Djokovic said after the match. DANIIL MEDVEDEV DISQUALIFIED FOR HITTING A SPECTATOR WITH A BALL NOVAK DJOKOVIC INTO THE BEIJING FINAL. https://t.co/pdkl3nTF3dβ Kalshi Tennis (@KalshiTen) October 5, 2026
The bizarre ending overshadowed what had been a fiercely contested semifinal. Djokovic had taken the opening set 7-5 and was leading 5-3 in the second when Medvedev's frustration boiled over. The Serbian was only one game away from reaching another China Open final when the match was brought to an abrupt end.
The victory extended Djokovic's extraordinary China Open record to 33-0. The 39-year-old had won all six of his previous appearances in Beijing, collecting six titles between 2009 and 2015 before returning to the tournament this year after an 11-year absence.
Djokovic had already produced a statement comeback in the quarter-finals, recovering from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. He will now play Alex de Minaur in Tuesday's final.
De Minaur booked his place in the championship match after Hubert Hurkacz retired during their semifinal, with the Australian having taken the opening set 6-4 and leading 1-0 in the second.
The final will give Djokovic a chance to win his seventh China Open title and claim his first trophy of 2026. It will also be his 102nd career ATP title if he beats de Minaur.
For Medvedev, however, the day will be remembered for a costly loss of control. A match that had promised another absorbing battle between two of the game's most accomplished hard-court players ended not with a Djokovic winner, but with Medvedev's frustration bringing the curtain down.- Ends
