Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev disqualified from Beijing semifinal against Novak Djokovic after hitting spectator in face with ball
Daniil Medvedev’s semifinal against Novak Djokovic at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing ended early after officials defaulted Medvedev for hitting a spectator in the face with a ball. Djokovic was leading 7–5, 5–3 at the time.
Immediately after a point, the ball bounced off the wall behind Medvedev. The Russian player hit it hard into the stands, striking a fan. Play stopped, and the spectator was escorted out of the stands, covering his face with his hands. Broadcast footage available here shows the ball’s exact path.
In his postmatch interview, Djokovic expressed sympathy for the spectator and said he believed it was unintentional.
Djokovic himself was involved in a similar incident at the U.S. Open in 2020, when he hit a line judge with a ball.
Djokovic will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the Beijing final. De Minaur’s semifinal also ended early: his opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired because of an injury.
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