Medvedev disqualified after hitting spectator with ball

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final match against Novak Djokovic after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball. The incident occurred when Medvedev, trailing 7-5, 5-3, swiped at a loose ball that had ricocheted off the back of the court and struck a fan sitting in the front row. The affected spectator was visibly injured and had to be assisted out of the arena. After speaking with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Medvedev approached Djokovic for a handshake but lost his place in the tournament along with all points and prize money he had earned up until that point. Djokovic expressed sympathy for both the injured spectator and Medvedev, who apologized for the incident, stating it was unintentional. This marks another high-profile case of player misconduct at major tournaments following similar disqualifications involving Djokovic from the 2020 US Open.