Medvedev Disqualified in Beijing Semifinal After Ball Hits Spectator

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic were playing their semifinal at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing on Monday, October 5. The match ended with Medvedev's disqualification rather than a completed final set, according to Fanpage.

Third seed Medvedev was behind 7-5, 5-3 when the incident occurred, the BBC reported. Djokovic was already close to securing a place in the final.

With Djokovic serving for the match on October 5, Medvedev sent a ball into a spectator's face, according to L'Équipe. Fanpage placed the spectator in the front row.

The accounts vary in their description of the contact. nu.nl described the strike as apparently accidental, while Telegraaf reported that the ball hit the spectator in the eye. These descriptions do not establish a different sequence of events, but they differ in specificity and characterization of intent.

Medvedev was then defaulted from the match, the BBC reported. The decision ended the semifinal and sent Djokovic into the final, according to Sky Sports.

Djokovic is through to the China Open final, and Medvedev's tournament is over. Sky Sports reported that the result took Djokovic's unbeaten record at the event to 33-0.

The supplied reports do not establish the spectator's condition or describe any further disciplinary action against Medvedev. They report the immediate consequence: his removal from the match.

The next competitive step is the final. Djokovic is one win away from his first title of 2026, according to Sky Sports. The supplied coverage does not identify his final opponent.