Daniil Medvedev disqualified from Beijing Open after hitting fan with ball as apology issued
Tennis player Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the Beijing Open after accidentally hitting a spectator with a ball. Medvedev issued a public apology and expressed concern for the injured fan, while Novak Djokovic noted the similarity to his own 2020 disqualification.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the strict enforcement of conduct rules in professional tennis and the potential for accidental actions to have significant competitive consequences.
Daniil Medvedev has apologised for hitting a spectator with a ball after he was defaulted from the China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic.
The Russian former world number one was trailing 7-5 5-3 when he swished a loose ball into the crowd.
The backhand was not particularly fierce but caught a spectator in the front row in the face, with the man having to be helped out while holding his hand to his eye.
"Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all. I'm trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it," Medvedev, 30, told reporters in Beijing.
"Hopefully I can apologise in person and see how he feels.
"I mean, 100 per cent (an) accident. You can see that I didn't hit the ball in anger. Actually, I do a lot of bad things, but usually ball abuse is not my thing.
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