In a dramatic turn of events at the China Open in Beijing, Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from his semi‑final clash after an errant shot struck a fan in the face. The incident occurred while Novak Djokovic was building an immaculate 33‑0 record at the tournament, positioning himself just one victory away from securing his first title of the 2026 season. The mishap unfolded during a tense semi‑final that saw Medvedev trailing 7‑5, 5‑3 and staring at three match points.

While attempting to return a winner from Djokovic, Medvedev's backhand ricocheted off the side wall and flew into the stands, hitting a spectator near the left eye. The fan was promptly assisted out of the arena and later taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation.

According to tournament regulations, Medvedev will forfeit all ranking points and prize money earned at the event. In a post‑match press conference, the Russian expressed deep remorse: "I am terribly sorry to the spectator. I’m trying to reach out to him, and if he wants to meet, I would like to apologise in person.

I hope he is okay – that is the most important thing. It was a 100 percent accident; you can see I didn’t hit the ball in anger. I rarely abuse the ball, and when I saw the result I felt horrible. I hope I can meet him and make amends." Djokovic, who himself was defaulted at the 2020 US Open after unintentionally hitting a line judge with a ball, commented on the incident with empathy: "It’s a bit of a shock, to be honest.

I am sorry for the person and hope he isn’t badly injured. I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match.

I’m sure he didn’t intend to do this." The Serbian champion, 39, has an illustrious history at the China Open, having captured the title six times between 2009 and 2015. After a long hiatus, he returned this year and has already demonstrated his class, overcoming world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a thrilling quarter‑final comeback. Djokovic now awaits Alex de Minaur in the final, aiming to claim his 102nd career title – his first since winning the Greek Open less than a year ago.

Earlier in the season, Djokovic reached the Australian Open final, falling to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Since then, he has battled fitness concerns and a lingering medical condition that causes fatigue and occasional vomiting, especially in hot, humid environments. These issues have contributed to a dip in form that saw him drop out of the top ten, but his resurgence in Beijing has propelled him back into the elite ranks. The semi‑final between Djokovic and MedvedV lasted just under two and a half hours.

After a grueling first set that saw Djokovic recover from a break down to take it, the Serbian surged ahead in the second, breaking Medvedev twice and serving for the match before the default ended the contest prematurely. Djokovic reflected on the intensity of the encounter: "It was a gruelling battle that I definitely didn’t want to take to a third set. It always feels like a big fight with Daniil; he can hit the ball with great pace even in slower conditions.

I believe in myself and felt I trained well, but an official match is another matter. My draw was tough from the start, so reaching the final feels even sweeter. Something about Beijing keeps me going." In the other semi‑final, Alex de Minaur advanced after Hubert Hurkacz retired with an injury while trailing 6‑4, 3‑2.

De Minaur will now face Djokovic for the championship. On the women’s side, British hopeful Sonay Kartal saw her comeback on the WTA Tour end in the third round, losing 6‑4, 6‑1 to Alina Charaeva – the same player who had earlier eliminated world No.

1 Elena Rybakina. Kartal’s tournament was her first WTA appearance since March, following a stress fracture in her back. She had recorded victories over Andrea Lázaro García and Wang Xinyu before the defeat.

Poland’s Iga Świątek fought back from a set and 5‑2 deficit to defeat Donna Vekić 4‑6, 7‑6(7‑0), 6‑2, securing a spot in the fourth round. American star Coco Gauff also progressed, dispatching Xinran Sun 7‑5, 6‑1 to reach the last 16.

Meanwhile, at the Japan Open, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz rallied from a set down to beat compatriot Jaume Munar 5‑7, 6‑3, 6‑1, earning his first final appearance since the Monte‑Carlo Masters in April. Alcaraz described his first‑set collapse as puzzling, noting a 16‑point streak where he lost momentum, but praised his ability to recover: "I don’t know what happened in the first set. It seems I struggle at the start, but I always find a way back and I’m happy about it." Alcaraz’s season has been hampered by a wrist injury that forced him to miss both the French Open defense and Wimbledon. He returned for the US Open, reaching the quarter‑finals before falling in five sets to American Ben Shelton.

A victory in Tokyo would give him his third title of the year – after triumphs in Australia and Qatar – and the 27th of his career, echoing his 2025 win over Taylor Fritz. Fans can watch the ATP Japan Open and ATP China Open finals live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports Main Event from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, or stream the action via NOW without a contract.