Medvedev Defaulted From China Open Semifinal After Hitting Fan With Ball

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic on Monday after he hit a ball into the stands in frustration, striking a spectator in the face, according to ESPN. The fan, seated in the front row in Beijing, was helped out of the arena with a hand over his left eye, ESPN reported.

Djokovic was awarded the match and advances to Tuesday's final against ninth-ranked Alex de Minaur. The Associated Press contributed reporting to ESPN's account of the incident.

What happened during the match?

Djokovic was serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3 when Medvedev struck the ball into the stands, per ESPN. The ball hit a spectator directly, and officials moved quickly. Medvedev was defaulted on the spot, ending the semifinal without a final point played on court. Video of the moment, embedded in ESPN's report, shows the ball's trajectory into the crowd and the immediate reaction from officials and nearby fans.

The spectator needed assistance to leave his seat, ESPN reported, holding his hand to his eye as he was escorted out. No further medical update on the fan's condition was included in ESPN's account.

33-0 — Djokovic's career record at the China Open, extended by the walkover default.

Why was Medvedev disqualified under tour rules?

ESPN's report does not detail the specific rule cited by chair officials, but defaults for hitting a ball that strikes a spectator are standard across professional tennis when contact causes or risks injury. The decision ended the match immediately, with Djokovic credited the win and advancing to the final.

This was the first meeting between Medvedev, 39 — per ESPN's report — and Djokovic since Djokovic beat the Russian in the 2023 US Open final. That history adds weight to a match that instead ended on a disqualification rather than a final set.

How does this compare to Djokovic's own 2020 default?

ESPN's report draws a direct parallel: Djokovic was disqualified from the 2020 US Open after a ball he hit in frustration struck a line judge in the throat. That incident, also unintentional, ended his tournament instantly under the same category of rule now applied to Medvedev. The echo was not lost on ESPN's writers, who flagged the comparison explicitly in Monday's coverage.

Neither player has commented publicly in the material reviewed for this report. ESPN's story does not include remarks from Medvedev, Djokovic, or tournament officials following the default.

What happens next at the China Open final?

Djokovic faces de Minaur in Tuesday's final. De Minaur advanced separately on the same day when his semifinal opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired due to injury midway through the second set, according to ESPN. De Minaur led that match 6-4, 3-2 at the time Hurkacz stopped play; ESPN reported Hurkacz was "barely able to run for balls" in the second set, though the exact nature of the injury was not immediately disclosed.

Djokovic's China Open record moves to 33-0 with the walkover, a mark ESPN notes has not been tested by a loss at the event.

What to watch

• Whether the China Open or ATP issues a formal statement detailing the rule invoked against Medvedev.
• Any update on the spectator's condition following the eye injury described by ESPN.
• Whether Medvedev faces additional sanction — fines or suspension — beyond the default, a decision typically made separately from the on-court disqualification.
• The China Open final Tuesday between Djokovic and de Minaur, and whether Hurkacz's retirement points to a longer-term injury concern ahead of the Shanghai Masters.
• Any public comment from Medvedev once he leaves Beijing; none was included in ESPN's initial report.

For tennis fans tracking the broader ATP calendar, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has already withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters, extending his absence from the tour, a separate storyline running alongside the China Open fallout, per ESPN's roundup of recent tour news.

The default leaves Medvedev's run in Beijing over without a completed set against Djokovic, and it hands the Serbian a final berth he reached without finishing the semifinal on the scoreboard.

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