Daniil Medvedev’s China Open semi-final ended in extraordinary circumstances after he accidentally hit a spectator, leaving him without his prize money or ranking points

Daniil Medvedev has been disqualified from the China Open after a ball he struck into the crowd hit a spectator in the eye during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

The dramatic incident immediately ended Medvedev’s tournament, sending Djokovic through to the final.

But losing the match was only part of the punishment.

Medvedev will also lose the ranking points and prize money earned from his run at the China Open, meaning the incident will cost him around £166,000 and 200 ranking points.

The Russian has since apologised and insisted hitting the spectator was “100 per cent an accident”.

So why was Daniil Medvedev disqualified if he did not mean to hit anyone?

Why was Daniil Medvedev disqualified?

Medvedev was facing Djokovic in the China Open semi-final when the incident happened.

Djokovic was leading 7-5, 5-3 and serving for the match when a ball rebounded from the back of the court towards Medvedev.

Medvedev struck the loose ball into the crowd, where it hit a spectator sitting in the front row around the eye.

The spectator appeared to be in pain and was helped from the stands by stadium staff.

After chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani spoke with a tournament official, Medvedev was defaulted from the match. He then walked to the net and shook hands with Djokovic.

The decision immediately sent Djokovic into the China Open final.

Did Daniil Medvedev hit the spectator deliberately?

Medvedev says the incident was entirely accidental.

Speaking after the match, he said he was “terribly sorry” and was trying to contact the spectator so he could apologise in person.

Medvedev described what happened as “100 per cent an accident”, explaining that the ball had bounced back towards him and he was simply trying to hit it away.

He also said his main concern was whether the spectator was OK.

However, a lack of intent did not prevent officials from disqualifying him.

Why was Medvedev disqualified if it was an accident?

This is where the rules become important.

A player does not necessarily need to deliberately hit somebody for an incident involving a ball to result in a default.

Under the applicable rules, officials can impose an immediate default for a serious violation rather than progressing through the usual sequence of penalties. Medvedev’s default also triggered the loss of his tournament prize money and ranking points, as explained in a breakdown of the ATP rules governing his disqualification.

In Medvedev’s case, the ball entered the crowd and struck a spectator around the eye.

Officials therefore ended his participation in the match despite Medvedev maintaining that he had no intention of hitting anyone.

How much prize money will Daniil Medvedev lose?

The financial consequences are substantial.

Reaching the China Open semi-finals would ordinarily have earned Medvedev $219,925 in prize money, approximately £166,000.

However, his default means he forfeits the prize money earned from his run at the tournament.

That makes the incident considerably more costly than simply missing out on a place in the final.

How many ranking points will Medvedev lose?

Medvedev will also lose the 200 ranking points he would have received for reaching the China Open semi-finals.

Those points could prove particularly valuable as the season approaches its closing stages.

Losing both the points and prize money means Medvedev’s successful run to the last four in Beijing leaves him with considerably less to show for it than expected.

Novak Djokovic knew exactly how Medvedev felt

There was another remarkable element to Medvedev’s disqualification.

The player standing on the other side of the net was Novak Djokovic, who experienced a strikingly similar situation at the 2020 US Open.

Djokovic was defaulted from that tournament after a ball he struck hit a line judge.

After Medvedev’s incident, Djokovic expressed concern for the spectator but also sympathy for his opponent.

The Serbian said he knew how it felt to be disqualified from an important match and indicated that he did not believe Medvedev had intended to hit the spectator.

Six years after suffering one of tennis’s most famous defaults himself, Djokovic progressed to another final after his opponent experienced a similar fate.

What did Daniil Medvedev say after being disqualified?

Medvedev’s immediate concern appeared to be the spectator.

He said he felt horrible after seeing what had happened and hoped to contact the man directly.

The former US Open champion maintained that the incident was accidental and said he hoped the spectator was OK.

It marks a dramatic change of fortunes for Medvedev, who has enjoyed stronger moments elsewhere this season, including when he overcame the huge serve of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard during his Dubai run.

Medvedev now leaves Beijing without the points and prize money he would normally have received for reaching the semi-finals.