{
  "id": 12174034,
  "title": "Medvedev disqualified from China Open semi after hitting ball into crowd",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-semi-after-hitting-ball-into",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T14:39:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40442741/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-semi-after-hitting-ball-into-crowd"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Beijing witnessed an unexpected turn of events at the China Open semi-finals as Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a ball into the crowd. The incident transpired when Medvedev, ranked fifth in the world, was in the midst of a grueling 7-5 5-3 loss to Novak Djokovic. The 27-year-old Russian had just lost a point when his shot ricocheted off the wall and struck a spectator sitting in the first row, causing them to clutch their left eye and walk out of the gallery, supported by stadium staff.\n\nIn a statement, Djokovic, who had also been disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for a similar offense, expressed his shock and concern for the spectator's well-being. He empathized with Medvedev, acknowledging the frustration of being disqualified in a high-stakes match. \"I was shocked, to be honest... I hope that person is not badly injured,\" Djokovic remarked. \"I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match... I'm sure that Daniil didn't want to do this intentionally.\"\n\nThe unfortunate incident forced both semi-finals to conclude prematurely in Beijing. Earlier in the day, Hungarian tennis player Hubert Hurkacz had to withdraw from his match due to an adductor injury. Australian Alex de Minaur, leading the first semi-final 6-4 3-2, was also forced to retire when his Polish opponent, struggling with movement throughout the match, decided to withdraw.",
  "summary": "BEIJING: Russian Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic after hitting a rebounding ball into the crowd, striking a spectator in the eye. World number five Medvedev was trailing 7-5 5-3 on Monday and had lost a point when he hit the ball coming off the wall. The spectator, who was sitting in the first row, clutched his left eye and appeared to be…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified from China Open semi after hitting ball into crowd",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-semi-after-hitting-ball-into-12178271",
        "published": "2026-10-05T14:45:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified from China Open for hitting spectator with a ball during match vs. Djokovic",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-for-hitting-spectator-with-a",
        "published": "2026-10-05T14:52:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified after hitting spectator with ball; Djokovic ‘shocked’ - Watch",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-after-hitting-spectator-with-ball-djokovic",
        "published": "2026-10-05T15:02:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified after hitting spectator with ball during Djokovic match",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-after-hitting-spectator-with-ball-during",
        "published": "2026-10-05T15:19:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SABC News",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified from China Open after spectator injured",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-after-spectator-injured",
        "published": "2026-10-05T15:47:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Medvedev disqualified from China Open for hitting fan with a ball",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-for-hitting-fan-with-a-ball",
        "published": "2026-10-05T16:17:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Novak Djokovic Reaches China Open Final After Daniil Medvedev Defaulted For Ball Hitting Spectator",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/novak-djokovic-reaches-china-open-final-after-daniil-medvedev",
        "published": "2026-10-05T16:33:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}