{
  "id": 12189971,
  "title": "Daniil Medvedev disqualified from China Open after hitting spectator in face with ball",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/daniil-medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-after-hitting-spectator-12189971",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T16:13:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/tennis/2026/10/05/daniil-medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-after-hitting-spectator-in-face-with-ball/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "World No 5 Daniil Medvedev has been disqualified from the China Open after his ball struck a spectator in the face during his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic. The incident occurred on Monday when Djokovic won a point, causing the ball to ricochet off the back of the court and hit Medvedev's backhand. The ball then traveled into the crowd and struck a spectator in the front row of the stand, leaving them with a bloody eye and visibly in pain. Medvedev, visibly shaken, went to shake hands with Djokovic at the net and expressed his apologies to the spectator. The Russian expressed his concern for the spectator's well-being, emphasizing that his primary focus was on ensuring their safety. Djokovic, a six-time champion at the tournament, expressed his sympathy for Medvedev, acknowledging that such a situation would bring back painful memories for the 24-time Grand Slam winner. Both semi-finals were halted prematurely, with Hubert Hurkacz retiring with an adductor injury earlier in the day.",
  "summary": "World No 5 Daniil Medvedev has been disqualified from the China Open after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic. The Russian was 7-5, 5-3 down on Monday when Djokovic hit a winner with the ball ricocheting off the back of the court resulting in Medvedev swinging a backhand in frustration. But the ball flew into the crowd hitting a spectator who…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Daniil Medvedev disqualified from China Open after hitting spectator in face with ball",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/daniil-medvedev-disqualified-from-china-open-after-hitting-spectator",
        "published": "2026-10-05T16:13:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}