One of men’s tennis’ most high-profile matches at the 2026 China Open ended in shocking and unanticipated fashion on Saturday, when third seed Daniil Medvedev was immediately disqualified after striking a front-row spectator in the face with a struck tennis ball during his semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic.
The incident unfolded with Djokovic holding a one-set lead at 7-5, and leading the second set 5-3. After the Serbian star hit a wide winner to level the game at 15-15, the ball bounced off the back court barrier back into play. Reacting in frustration, Medvedev lashed out with an angry backhand swipe that sent the ball flying into the stands, directly hitting a seated fan.
Witnesses reported the fan immediately bent over clutching his face, and was seen holding his eye as arena staff escorted him out of the venue for medical assessment. Following an immediate consultation between chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani and a senior Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) official, the ruling of instant disqualification was handed down. Medvedev then walked to the net to shake hands with Djokovic, officially ending the contest.
In immediate post-incident comments, Medvedev extended a sincere apology to the injured fan. “Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” he stated. “I’m trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologise in person and see how he feels. I just hope he’s OK. That’s the most important. I just really care about him right now.”
Djokovic, who himself was disqualified from the 2020 US Open over an almost identical incident where he accidentally hit a line judge with a ball, offered sympathy to both the fan and Medvedev. “It’s a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured,” he said. “I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match. I am sure that Daniil did not want to do this intentionally.”
Under ATP rules, on-court defaults are rare penalties reserved for severe violations of the sport’s code of conduct, which include ball abuse, physical or verbal abuse of other people, and racquet abuse. While the standard protocol issues three warnings before disqualification, officials have the authority to issue an immediate default for serious infractions. As a result of the ruling, Medvedev will forfeit all ranking points and prize money he had earned through his run at the Beijing tournament.
The 30-year-old Russian has long been open about his struggles with on-court emotion control over the course of his career. Just last year at the US Open, he had a public outburst after a photographer walked onto the court mid-match, resulting in a fine of roughly $42,500 for unsportsmanlike behavior. Earlier this year, at the Monte Carlo Masters, he destroyed his racquet following a lopsided 6-0 6-0 loss, drawing another fine for code violation. In a 2025 interview with BBC Sport, Medvedev acknowledged he was actively working to manage his on-court temper, noting “When I’m on the court I hate to lose; I love to win. My first goal is to win the match, so it brings a lot of adrenaline out and it brings all the energy out. Sometimes it is a good energy. Sometimes it is a bad one.”
For Djokovic, the unexpected advance sends him into the China Open final, where he will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Tuesday. The 39-year-old Serbian put on a stellar performance through the semi-final, saving 16 of 18 break points against Medvedev to hold his lead. Djokovic holds an undefeated 33-0 record at the China Open, having lifted the tournament trophy six times, and has claimed at least one ATP tour title every year since 2006. This final marks his first trip to a tour championship match since the 2026 Australian Open earlier this year, where he lost to then-world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals this year, falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, but exited the French Open in the third round and suffered a shocking first-round elimination at the US Open.
In other ATP tournament news over the weekend, top-ranked defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought through inconsistent form to book a spot in the Japan Open final, overcoming Spain’s Jaume Munar with a 5-7 6-3 6-1 victory. The seven-time Grand Slam champion struggled with his serve for much of the match, having led 5-3 in the first set and held a match point before dropping 16 consecutive points to lose the opening set. He rallied in the second and third sets to raise his level and close out the win. Alcaraz will face Czech player Jiri Lehecka in the final, after Lehecka defeated Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-4 6-2 in his semi-final match.