Daniil Medvedev paid the price for his anger when he injured a fan, he was disqualified from the China Open

Daniil Medvedev paid a heavy price for a moment of frustration as his China Open campaign came to a dramatic end, the Russian disqualified after hitting the ball into the stands and injuring a spectator in his semi-final against Novak Djokovic on Monday.

The incident occurred when Djokovic was serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3. After the point, Medvedev hit the ball to the back of the court in frustration after it bounced towards him. The ball flew into the front row and appeared to hit a spectator near the left eye.

The fan was given immediate medical attention before being escorted away from the stands. The game was stopped as the officials spoke to Medvedev, who ended up not making it out of the game.

“It’s a shock to be honest. I hope the person is not seriously injured. But at the same time I feel sorry for Daniil. I’m sure he didn’t want to do it on purpose,” Djokovic said after the match.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV DISQUALIFIED FOR HITTING SPECTATOR WITH NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S BALL FOR BEIJING FINAL. Kalshi Tennis (@KalshiTen) October 5, 2026

A bizarre finish overshadowed what was a fiercely contested semi-final. Djokovic had won the opening set 7-5 and was leading 5-3 in the second as Medvedev’s frustration got the better of him. The Serbian was only one game away from advancing to the next China Open final when the match was abruptly ended.

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The win extended Djokovic’s outstanding China Open record to 33-0. The 39-year-old has 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 recovered in the quarterfinals and recovered from a set down defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. He will now face Alex de Minaur in Tuesday’s final.

De Minaur booked his place in the championship match after Hubert Hurkacz retired during their semi-final, with the Australian winning the opening set 6-4 and leading 1-0 in the second.

The final will give Djokovic the chance to win his seventh China Open title and claim his first trophy in 2026. It will also be his 102nd career ATP title if he beats de Minaur.

For Medvedev, however, this day will be remembered as a costly loss of control. The match, which promised another thrilling battle between the two most successful players on hard court, did not end with Djokovic victorious, but Medvedev’s frustration brought the curtain down.

– The end