Daniil Medvedev disqualified for hitting a ball at a spectator
6 october 2026 в 03:37
Tennis player Daniil Medvedev was disqualified during the semifinal match of the China Open against Novak Djokovic after a ball he hit in a moment of frustration struck a fan in the face.
The incident occurred when Medvedev was trailing 5−7, 3−5, but had just won the first point on Djokovic’s serve. After Djokovic won the second point, Medvedev hit a ball that had bounced back to him, and it hit a spectator in the left eye. According to The Guardian, the fan appeared to be injured and received assistance from stadium staff.
After the match, Medvedev expressed regret over the incident. He said, «I'm really sorry for the spectator, first of all. I’m trying to reach out to him if he wants to. I hope I can apologize in person and see how he’s doing… I just hope he’s okay. That’s the most important thing. I really do care about him right now».
Medvedev added that the ball had bounced, and he just wanted to hit it back to avoid sending it out of bounds. «When I saw the result, I felt terrible», - he noted.
Djokovic, who is now advancing to the final against Alex de Minaur, also commented on the incident: «A bit shocked, to be honest. I feel sorry for the person who was hit. I didn’t actually see what happened. I hope he’s okay. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly what it’s like to be disqualified in an important match. I was disqualified at the US Open 2020 under similar circumstances. I’m sure Daniil didn’t mean to do that intentionally. It just happens».
Although Djokovic protested his disqualification, ATP rules leave little room for maneuver in Medvedev’s case. According to the rules, players must not «aggressively, dangerously, or angrily hit, kick, or throw a tennis ball on the tournament premises, except in a reasonable attempt to play the ball during a match».
The incident occurred when Medvedev was trailing 5−7, 3−5, but had just won the first point on Djokovic’s serve. After Djokovic won the second point, Medvedev hit a ball that had bounced back to him, and it hit a spectator in the left eye. According to The Guardian, the fan appeared to be injured and received assistance from stadium staff.
After the match, Medvedev expressed regret over the incident. He said, «I'm really sorry for the spectator, first of all. I’m trying to reach out to him if he wants to. I hope I can apologize in person and see how he’s doing… I just hope he’s okay. That’s the most important thing. I really do care about him right now».
Medvedev added that the ball had bounced, and he just wanted to hit it back to avoid sending it out of bounds. «When I saw the result, I felt terrible», - he noted.
Djokovic, who is now advancing to the final against Alex de Minaur, also commented on the incident: «A bit shocked, to be honest. I feel sorry for the person who was hit. I didn’t actually see what happened. I hope he’s okay. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly what it’s like to be disqualified in an important match. I was disqualified at the US Open 2020 under similar circumstances. I’m sure Daniil didn’t mean to do that intentionally. It just happens».
Although Djokovic protested his disqualification, ATP rules leave little room for maneuver in Medvedev’s case. According to the rules, players must not «aggressively, dangerously, or angrily hit, kick, or throw a tennis ball on the tournament premises, except in a reasonable attempt to play the ball during a match».
© Artemenko Olga
