Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open")
China Open: Medvedev shares why he struck the ball which hit a spectator Photograph: (AFP)
Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final after accidentally hitting a spectator near the eye with a ball while trailing Novak Djokovic. Djokovic advanced, and Medvedev apologized.
Russia's Daniil Medvedev stunned the tennis world after being disqualified from the China Open semi-finals on Monday (Oct. 5) in his match against Novak Djokovic. Medvedev was disqualified after accidentally hitting a spectator with the ball in the third set, three points away from a loss. The spectator was hit around the left eye and left the area after being struck by the ball. After his disqualification, Djokovic, who expressed shock at the incident, advanced to his 102nd tour-level final. Medvedev, meanwhile, has apologized for his actions. This is, however, not the first time Medvedev has been fined for his on-court behavior.
Medvedev reveals reason behind striking ball which hit spectator at China Open
The Russian was behind 7-5, 5-3 and had just lost a point when the incident happened. The ball went past him, hit the court wall, and Medvedev hit it. The ball went on to hit a spectator near the left eye in the arena, and everybody was left stunned. Have a look at the video below:
After the match, Medvedev was asked about the incident by reporters, and he said: "Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all. I'm trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologize in person. I just hope he's OK. That's the most important thing. I just really care about him right now. It was 100 percent an accident. You can see I didn't hit the ball in anger. I do a lot of bad things, but usually ball abuse is not my thing."
"The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to just hit it anywhere so it doesn't go out of the court. When I saw the result, I felt horrible. Hopefully I can meet him and make up for it somehow," he explained.
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Djokovic, who was similarly disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for hitting a line judge with a ball, said: "I was shocked. I hope that person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure Daniil didn’t want to do this intentionally."
Medvedev, apart from being disqualified, also loses the prize money earned so far in the tournament as well.
Medvedev has a history of on-court trouble
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This is not the first time Medvedev has found himself in trouble for his on-court behavior. At the US Open in 2025, he was fined $42,000 for losing his temper and insulting the umpire after a photographer walked onto the court as his opponent Benjamin Bonzi was getting ready to serve for match point.
In April earlier this year, Medvedev smashed his racket multiple times at the Monte Carlo Open during his 6-0, 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini.
At the Australian Open in 2025, he was fined about $71,000 for breaking a net camera by repeatedly smashing his racket. He was also made to pay for the camera as well.
