Key Takeaways
- Daniil Medvedev expressed deep remorse after being disqualified in his Beijing semifinal against Novak Djokovic for striking a spectator in the face.
- Medvedev insisted the act was “100% an accident” and noted that he was not hitting the ball in anger or frustration.
- The former Grand Slam champion stated that he is attempting to contact the spectator to apologize in person and check on his wellbeing.
Daniil Medvedev speaks out after shocking default in Beijing
Daniil Medvedev has issued a heartfelt response after a stunning default brought an abrupt end to his Beijing semifinal clash against Novak Djokovic. The match was halted when an errant ball struck a spectator in the face, leading to the tournament default and allowing Djokovic to progress to the final against Alex de Minaur.
Shortly after the incident, Medvedev expressed his deep remorse and revealed his desire to speak directly with the affected fan. “First of all, I’m truly so sorry to the spectator,” Medvedev said. “I’m trying to get in touch with him if he wants that, in the hope of being able to apologize to him in person and see how he’s feeling.”
An accidental strike during semifinal clash
Addressing the moments leading up to the disqualification, the former Grand Slam champion insisted that the act was not driven by bad temper or malice on the court. “It was 100% an accident,” Medvedev explained. “You can see that I didn’t hit the ball in anger. In fact, I do a lot of bad things, but generally, ball abuse isn’t my thing. The ball was bouncing back toward me, so I just tried to hit it in any direction so it wouldn’t go out of the court.”
Despite his intentions, the consequences were immediate and severe. “When I saw the result, I felt awful,” the player confessed. “I’ve never been close to a situation like this. The most important thing now is that he’s okay, because you never know in these kinds of situations.”
Hoping to make amends off the court
Medvedev reiterated how deeply the incident troubled him, emphasizing his concern for the supporter’s wellbeing following the sudden exit from the tournament. “It’s a horrible feeling because it’s not what I usually do and I didn’t mean to hit him,” he said. “You can see there was no anger or frustration, I didn’t hit it hard, but it hit him. I really care about him and hope I can meet up with him and make it up to him in some way.”
Daniil Medvedev’s full statements after his disqualification in Beijing:
🗣 "First of all, I’m truly so sorry to the spectator. I’m trying to get in touch with him if he wants that, in the hope of being able to apologize to him in person and see how he’s feeling."
🗣 "It was 100% an accident. You can see that I didn’t hit the ball in anger. In fact, I do a lot of bad things, but generally, ball abuse isn’t my thing. The ball was bouncing back toward me, so I just tried to hit it in any direction so it wouldn’t go out of the court."
🗣 "When I saw the result, I felt awful. I’ve never been close to a situation like this. The most important thing now is that he’s okay, because you never know in these kinds of situations."
🗣 "It’s a horrible feeling because it’s not what I usually do and I didn’t mean to hit him. You can see there was no anger or frustration, I didn’t hit it hard, but it hit him. I really care about him and hope I can meet up with him and make it up to him in some way."
— Tiempo De Tenis @Tiempodetenis1 (@Tiempodetenis1) October 5, 2026
ATP Shanghai - Daniil Medvedev's projected path
Daniil Medvedev in 2026
Ranked no.5, the Russian played his last match on the 5th of October when he surrendered to world no.11 Novak Djokovic 7-5 5-3 def. in the semifinal in Beijing (draw).
This season the Russian achieved an overall 41-18 match record. Medvedev has won 3 titles in 2026 in Brisbane, Dubai and Hangzhou.
