Medvedev Disqualified from China Open After Hitting Spectator with Ball

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic after a ball he swiped into the stands struck a spectator. The incident occurred while Djokovic was serving for a place in the final.

Under the rules, a player is barred from "hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly, or with negligent disregard of the consequences." The disqualification followed a few minutes after the ball ricocheted off the back of the court and into the stands, hitting a spectator in the face.

Medvedev has a history of on-court outbursts. In 2019, he was fined at the US Open for snatching a towel from a ball person and making an offensive gesture to fans. He described himself as a "really calm person in life" but acknowledged that "demons go out when I play tennis."

At the 2017 Wimbledon, then 21-year-old Medvedev sprinkled coins at the feet of umpire Mariana Alves after a series of decisions he disagreed with. He later apologized and denied accusing her of bias.

Two years ago at Wimbledon, officials considered defaulting Medvedev for an outburst towards umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore. He escaped with a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after claiming he said something in Russian that was "not pleasant, but not over the line." The umpire, supervisor, and tournament referee discussed the incident before a decision was made.

Medvedev was also fined more than £60,000 for his behavior at the 2025 Australian Open, which included attempting to damage a net camera. He had another notable incident at the US Open that year when, during a match against Benjamin Bonzi, a photographer walked onto the court between serves. Umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi another first serve due to the delay, which led to Medvedev accusing the umpire of wanting a quick match finish. Medvedev eventually lost the match in five sets and subsequently smashed his racquet repeatedly against a table.

Medvedev has often directed his aggression toward umpires. He stated that his temper dissipates after leaving the court, saying, "All my temper goes away after I leave the tennis court. If I'm not happy with my practice, I step out of the court and five minutes later, I'm OK."