Medvedev Was DISQUALIFIED Mid-Match After His Backhand Hit A Fan In The Face — And Djokovic Knows Exactly How He Feels

Stop scrolling: Daniil Medvedev has been thrown out of the China Open semi-final after a frustrated swipe at the ball hit a spectator in the face. And the man on the other side of the net? He's been there before.

What Happened In Beijing

Medvedev was trailing Novak Djokovic 7-5 5-3 when the Serb hit a winner past him, according to BBC Sport. The ball bounced back off the court wall, and Medvedev swatted a backhand at it in annoyance.

The ball flew into the front row and struck a fan. The spectator doubled over, holding his face, and was helped out of the arena. Sky Sports adds that tournament organisers later said the fan had been taken to hospital.

After a chat with the umpire and an ATP official, Medvedev walked to the net, shook Djokovic's hand and that was it. Match over. Default.

"100 Per Cent Accident"

Medvedev was quick to apologise. "Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," he said, per BBC Sport. He added that he's trying to get in touch with the fan and hopes to apologise in person.

He also insisted to the press, as Sky Sports reports, that it was "100 per cent accident." His argument: "You can see I didn't hit the ball in anger." He said the ball was bouncing back, so he tried to hit it anywhere so it wouldn't stay on court, and that he "felt horrible" when he saw the result.

The Cruel Twist

Defaults in tennis are rare, but ball abuse is a code violation, and this one was serious enough for an instant disqualification with no warnings first. Medvedev loses all the points and prize money from the event. BBC Sport notes that run would have put him back inside the world's top five.

Ouch doesn't cover it.

Djokovic's Reaction Is The Plot Twist

Here's the part that hits different. Djokovic was himself defaulted from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball. Afterwards he said it was "a bit of a shock to be honest" and that he hopes the fan isn't badly injured.

He also said: "I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match." He added that he's sure Medvedev didn't do it intentionally.

Honestly? Classy.

The Backstory

Medvedev's temper has been in the headlines before, as both outlets note:

• April 2026: smashed racquets in a 6-0 6-0 loss at the Monte-Carlo Masters and was fined
• 2025 US Open: fined almost £31,500 after a meltdown when a photographer walked on court
• 2025 Australian Open: fined £54,000 for smashing a net camera, per Sky Sports

He told BBC Sport in 2025 that he was working on his on-court behaviour, saying his adrenaline "sometimes... is a good energy. Sometimes it is a bad one."

The Tea ☕

• Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open semi after a backhand hit a front-row fan, who was taken to hospital
• He calls it an accident and says he wants to apologise in person
• Djokovic, defaulted at the 2020 US Open for a similar incident, says he feels for him

What About Novak?

He advances to Tuesday's final against Alex de Minaur with a perfect 33-0 record in Beijing, per Sky Sports. He's chasing a 102nd career title, and he's six-time champion here. The match itself was a brutal two-and-a-half-hour slog, with Djokovic saving 16 of 18 break points.

So was the default the right call, or was it too harsh for something Medvedev says was an accident? Team "rules are rules" or Team "this was unlucky"? Sound off below.

Sources: BBC Sport | Sky Sports