Story perspectives

Medvedev Disqualified After Backhand Hits Spectator at China Open

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 10:25 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semifinal after his backhand struck a spectator.
The strike occurred while Novak Djokovic served at 7-5, 5-3.
The spectator was escorted out holding his left eye.
Medvedev called the hit a 100% accident, apologized, and lost 200 points and $200,000.
Djokovic, shocked but hopeful, kept his Beijing record at 33-0 and will meet Alex de Minaur in the final.

History

Historical Context

At the 1990 Australian Open, John McEnroe was defaulted after a new Code of Conduct penalized him for intimidating a linesperson, smashing his racket and abusing officials, costing him a $6,500 fine. The incident followed earlier high-profile outbursts and mirrored tennis’s shift toward stricter discipline, a trend also evident in Ivan Lendl’s and Stefan Edberg’s historic final that year.

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Story summary

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semifinal after his backhand struck a spectator.
The strike occurred while Novak Djokovic served at 7-5, 5-3.
The spectator was escorted out holding his left eye.
Medvedev called the hit a 100% accident, apologized, and lost 200 points and $200,000.
Djokovic, shocked but hopeful, kept his Beijing record at 33-0 and will meet Alex de Minaur in the final.

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