Novak Djokovic advanced to the China Open final on Monday after Daniil Medvedev was defaulted for striking a ball that hit a spectator. Sky Sports reported that Djokovic was leading 7–5, 5–3 when the semifinal ended.
The incident occurred after a ball rebounded from the back wall and Medvedev hit it into the stands. The spectator was helped from the arena, and tournament organisers subsequently said he had been taken to hospital.
Medvedev apologised and said the incident was accidental. Djokovic also expressed concern for the spectator and sympathy for his opponent, recalling his own disqualification at the 2020 US Open.
The default means Medvedev loses the ranking points and prize money earned at the Beijing tournament. It also leaves Djokovic with a 33–0 record at the event, where he has previously won six titles.
Djokovic was scheduled to face Alex de Minaur in Tuesday’s final. This report covers the semifinal decision and the final matchup announced afterward; it does not report a result from the championship match.
Source: Sky Sports, 2026-10-05.
