Key Takeaways
- Daniil Medvedev was defaulted during his match against Novak Djokovic in Beijing after lightly hitting a ball into the stands that struck a front-row spectator in the eye.
- The incident occurred while Novak Djokovic was serving for the match with a 7-5, 5-3 lead.
- Following consultations between the chair umpire and the tournament director, Medvedev was disqualified, sending Djokovic into the final.
Dramatic disqualification halts clash in Beijing
A high-stakes showdown in Beijing came to an abrupt and unexpected end when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified during his clash against Novak Djokovic. The encounter concluded prematurely following a sudden incident late in the second set, allowing Djokovic to advance straight to the final.
Djokovic was leading the contest 7-5, 5-3 and had stepped up to serve for the match. After losing a point, Medvedev lightly sent a ball toward the stands. The stray shot inadvertently struck a spectator seated in the front row directly in the eye.
Discussions on court lead to immediate default
The situation escalated quickly as officials intervened to address the courtside incident. Following a direct discussion involving both the chair umpire and the tournament director, officials decided to issue an immediate default against Medvedev.
The disqualification confirmed Djokovic’s victory, sending the Serbian star into the Beijing final while bringing a sudden and dramatic conclusion to an intense duel.
This should be a disqualification for Medvedev https://t.co/7aSyMdJILy
— Corvath Draemir (@Archaicmind3000) October 5, 2026
ATP Beijing - Novak Djokovic's projected path
Djokovic in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently ranked no.11, Djokovic achieved an overall 18-7 match record in 2026. Novak is playing in Beijing where he conquered the world no.51 Nuno Borges 6-3 7-6(2), the world no.93 Bu Yunchaokete 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2, the world no.2 Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-4 6-4 and the world no.5 Daniil Medvedev 7-5 5-3 def..
Novak Djokovic will square off with the world no.9 Alex De Minaur in the final. Their actual head to head record is 3-1 for Djokovic.
Novak won 101 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 21 on clay courts, 20 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
