Disqualification ends semifinal
Novak Djokovic advanced to his seventh Beijing final on Monday after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from their China Open semifinal for hitting a spectator with a ball. Djokovic was leading 7-5, 5-3 when Medvedev struck a stray ball toward the back wall that hit a fan in the face. The spectator, seated in the front row, slumped over and clutched his left eye after being struck. Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani consulted with Medvedev and the tournament supervisor before the supervisor disqualified Medvedev and directed Djokovic to the net for the handshake. Medvedev did not protest the decision.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
The disqualification came after Djokovic had leveled the game at 15-All. Medvedev backhanded the ball toward the wall, and it struck the fan. The incident occurred during a match that had grown tense, with Djokovic taking time between points and Medvedev appearing to mock his opponent's fatigue. Djokovic lost a first serve after two time violations and later faced a second serve at break point. Medvedev took a medical timeout after losing serve to trail 2-4 in the second set.[S1]
Medvedev apologizes, calls incident accidental
Speaking to the media in Beijing afterward, Medvedev said he was terribly sorry to the spectator and was trying to get in touch with him. He said he hoped to apologize in person and see how the fan was feeling. Medvedev described the act as one hundred percent accidental, saying he did not hit the ball in anger and that ball abuse was not typical for him. He explained that the ball was bouncing back and he tried to hit it anywhere so it would not leave the court. He said he felt horrible when he saw the result and hoped the spectator was okay, noting that such situations can be unpredictable.[S1]
Djokovic's milestone and final opponent
The victory improved Djokovic's record at the China Open to a perfect 33-0 and returned him to the Top 10. It was his 146th tour-level final, tying Ivan Lendl for third-most finals among men in the Open Era. It was his first final since the Australian Open in January. Djokovic, the Olympic gold medalist, will play for his 102nd career title against Alex de Minaur of Australia. De Minaur reached the final earlier when Hubert Hurkacz retired with an apparent adductor issue while trailing 6-4, 3-2. The fifth-seeded de Minaur improved to 4-1 against Hurkacz and reached his 22nd career tour-level final. He carries a 40-18 record in 2026 into the final and is playing for his 12th title.[S1]
De Minaur told the media in Beijing that he had long stopped being surprised by what Djokovic can bring to the court. He said tennis players have seen what Djokovic has been able to do for basically his whole career and that it is amazing to watch. He described Djokovic's previous match as another example of an extremely high level and said he enjoyed it thoroughly as a fan of the sport. He added that this is what tennis wants, with everyone at their best.[S1]
Match context and earlier drama
The semifinal pitted Djokovic's unbeaten streak in Beijing against Medvedev's seven-match winning run as the Hangzhou champion. It was a rematch of the 2021 and 2023 US Open finals. In a physically punishing fifth game, Djokovic saved three break points, but Medvedev kept firing with depth and precision. Djokovic was visibly winded after several rallies lasting more than twenty shots. Medvedev converted his seventh break point of the set to lead 3-2 after a backhand down the line. Djokovic broke back to level after six grueling games that spanned 43 minutes. He then held for a 4-3 lead, and Medvedev evened the set at 4-4 after eight games. Djokovic survived a near ten-and-a-half-minute hold for 5-4, during which he received a soft warning from Lahyani for flirting with serve clock violations.[S1]
