{
  "id": 12171386,
  "title": "Medvedev defaulted for hitting spectator with ball",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-defaulted-for-hitting-spectator-with-ball",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T14:44:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport",
    "slug": "bbc-sport",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cqkg5npg0r9vo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During his semi-final match at the China Open, Daniil Medvedev was defaulted after striking a spectator in the face with a ball. Medvedev was trailing Novak Djokovic, the third seed, 7-5 5-3 when the incident occurred. The ball ricocheted off the back of the court and Medvedev, frustrated, struck a backhand which hit the spectator in the front row of the stand behind him. The fan was seen holding his face and was helped out of the arena. Medvedev approached the net to shake hands with Djokovic, expressing deep regret for his actions. Djokovic, who previously faced a similar situation in 2020, expressed sympathy for both Djokovic and Medvedev. Defaults in tennis are rare and occur when players violate the sport's code of conduct, including ball abuse, physical or verbal abuse, or racquet abuse. This was a serious enough offense to instantly disqualify Medvedev, who will lose the points and prize money earned during his run to the last four in Beijing.",
  "summary": "Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic. The incident occurred when Medvedev swiped at a backhand in annoyance, sending the ball into the air and hitting a spectator sitting in the front row. The fan was helped out of the arena, holding his face and eye.\n\nMedvedev apologized after the incident, saying he was \"terribly sorry\" to the spectator and was trying to get in touch with him to apologize in person. He expressed concern for the fan's well-being, saying \"I just hope he's OK. That's the most important. I just really care about him right now.\"\n\nAccording to Yahoo Sports, Djokovic, who was defaulted from the 2020 US Open for a similar incident, expressed sympathy for the fan and Medvedev, saying \"It's a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured. I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Medvedev defaulted for hitting spectator with ball",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-defaulted-for-hitting-spectator-with-ball-12171907",
        "published": "2026-10-05T14:47:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}