Daniil Medvedev visited the injured spectator in a Beijing hospital, presenting the fan with a personalized tennis racket bearing the message I’m sorry
after a stray ball struck the individual during his ATP 500 match against Novak Djokovic, Corriere della Sera reported. The incident, which occurred on October 6, 2026, resulted in the Russian player’s disqualification from the tournament.
Following public apologies made in front of television cameras, Medvedev traveled directly to the medical facility where the fan was recovering. According to reporting cited from Spazio Tennis and published by Corriere della Sera, the spectator is doing well, though a China Open tournament spokesperson confirmed that no further details regarding the individual’s medical condition would be released.
During the bedside visit, Medvedev handed the fan a custom racket featuring an inscription reading I’m sorry
. The gesture followed an immediate on-court apology and post-match remarks in which the former world number one described the incident as a freak accident. It was an accident, you can see I didn’t hit the ball with anger,
Medvedev stated after the match, as reported by Corriere della Sera. I do a lot of bad things, but usually ball abuse is not one of them. The ball bounced and I just tried to hit it so it wouldn’t go out of the court. When I saw what happened, I felt terrible.
Financial and Ranking Penalties in Beijing
The default ruling carries steep financial and competitive consequences for the 30-year-old competitor. Beyond the immediate tournament disqualification, Medvedev forfeits his semifinal prize money totaling approximately 220,000 dollars (approximately 195,000 euros), incurs a separate fine of approximately 60,000 dollars, and loses 200 ranking points for both the ATP Tour rankings and the Race to Turin standings for the ATP Finals.
The sanction mirrors a high-profile precedent from the 2020 US Open, where Novak Djokovic—Medvedev’s opponent in Beijing—suffered a default after accidentally striking a line judge with a tennis ball. You don’t play just for yourself; you play for the people, for the sport,
Djokovic told SuperTennis. If you’re a benchmark player, you carry something much bigger with you.
China Open Officials Announce No Further Disciplinary Measures
Tournament officials at the China Open have not announced any additional disciplinary measures beyond the automatic fines and point deductions stipulated by ATP rulebooks.
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