Daniil Medvedev DQ'd against Novak Djokovic at China Open for hitting a fan in the head with a ball

Medvedev said he's 'terribly sorry' about the incident that lead to a default

Oct 5, 2026 at 1:01 pm ET • 1 min read

Daniil Medvedev is no stranger to on-court outbursts and controversies, and on Monday he found himself getting disqualified from a semifinal match against Novak Djokovic at the China Open after hitting a ball in frustration that struck a fan in the head.

Medvedev was trailing 7-5, 5-3 in the match when he was unable to get to a forehand and then struck the ball in frustration as it bounced back towards him from the back wall. Instead of hitting it into the wall, he sent the ball into the stands where it struck a spectator in the head.

The fan was eventually helped out of the stands to receive treatment. The chair umpire discussed the incident with Medvedev and a tournament official and ultimately deemed worthy of a default, per ATP rules, and Medvedev was disqualified from the match, sending Djokovic into the final. 

"Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," Medvedev told reporters, via The Athletic. "I'm trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologize 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."

Despite not being an apparent purposeful attempt to hit the fan, it was still deemed a breach of rules as a dangerous act and Medvedev saw any chance of a miraculous comeback against Djokovic end in a default.