Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open 2026 semi-final against Novak Djokovic on Monday after his frustration during the match resulted in a fan being injured.
The fan was given medical assistance after being escorted away from the stands. The spectator appeared to have suffered an injury near the eye. Play was stopped as match officials spoke to Medvedev before the Russian was disqualified.
The incident occurred when Medvedev was defaulted for hitting a spectator in the front row after losing a point, with Djokovic serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3.
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Djokovic, who himself was defaulted from the 2020 US Open for a similar incident, expressed sympathy for both the injured fan and Medvedev afterwards.
"I was shocked, to be honest... I hope that person is not badly injured," noted sixth seed Djokovic.
"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 that Daniil didn't want to do this intentionally," the 39-year-old added.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was also disqualified from the fourth round of the 2020 US Open after hitting a line judge with a ball following a point during his first-set match against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta.
Defaults are rare in tennis and are generally handed out when a player seriously violates the sport's code of conduct.
Violations can include ball abuse, physical or verbal abuse and racquet abuse. Players can receive three code violations before being disqualified for another offence, although particularly serious incidents can result in an immediate default.
The ranking points and prize money that Medvedev won during his run to the final four in Beijing will now be forfeited.
The 30-year-old Russian has a reputation for having a violent temper and has previously been disciplined for his actions on the court.
When a photographer entered the court during the US Open last year, Medvedev lost it. He was fined around £31,500 ($42,500) for his actions.
He was also penalised for unsportsmanlike behaviour earlier this year for smashing his racket after losing to eventual champion Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-0, 6-0 at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The latest incident adds another controversial chapter to Medvedev's career and brought an abrupt end to his China Open campaign.
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