Daniil Medvedev was already nearing elimination from the China Open on Monday, but his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic came to an abrupt end when he was disqualified from the tournament.
A frustrated Medvedev appeared to injure a fan in the second set, and he wasn’t allowed to continue on.
The loss kept Djokovic’s perfect record at the China Open intact, and it accelerated what appeared to be a likely defeat for Medvedev had the rest of the match played out.
Here’s a look at Medvedev’s bizarre moment at the China Open.
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Why Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from China Open
Medvedev hit a fan in the eye when he hit a ball into the stands out of frustration during Monday’s match. The fan had to exit holding his eye, and Medvedev then had to exit permanently.
The fan was taken to a hospital, Sky Sports reported.
Here’s the moment Medvedev’s day ended, with the former US Open champion appearing mostly unbothered by the disqualification decision:
🚨The moment when Medvedev got disqualified at the @ChinaOpen. https://t.co/5GllzQvZsG
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 5, 2026
While Medvedev might have been on track to lose regardless, disqualification prevents him from receiving prize money and points for reaching the semifinal.
Djokovic will face Alex de Minaur for the title after both players saw their semifinal matches end abruptly; de Minaur’s opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired due to injury.
