Daniil Medvedev has sent a message and a gift to the fan he smashed in the face with a ball at the China Open. Medvedev was disqualified from the semi-final against Novak Djokovic after hitting a rebounding ball into the crowd. It struck a spectator, with the umpire deeming the offence to be worthy of a disqualification.
Medvedev's apology and gift
Medvedev insisted it was an accident post-match and as a token of respect, the Russian reached out to the fan who was involved. The person who had been hit by the ball shared a social media post of a racket that Medvedev gifted them, with “I am sorry,” having been written on the handle.
It was a kind gesture at the end of a disappointing day for Medvedev, not least because he was on course for a defeat when it happened. When confronted about the incident, the world No.5 said: “Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all. The ball was bouncing back so I tried to just hit it anywhere so it doesn’t go out from the court. When I saw the result I felt horrible.”
Djokovic's reaction and final victory
Djokovic, who was disqualified from the 2020 US Open for a similar offence, said: “I was shocked. I hope that person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure Daniil didn’t want to do this intentionally.”
Djokovic ended up victorious in the final against Alex de Minaur on Tuesday, but that was aided by the Australian withdrawing from the tournament midway through the second set. It extends Djokovic’s remarkable record at the China Open, with the Serb still undefeated at the tournament since making his debut in 2009.
It meant he won the tournament despite completing just two sets from the semi-finals onwards. Reacting to his victory on social media, he remarked: “A strange end to a magical week. Wishing @alexdeminaur a speedy recovery. Proud to win a seventh time at a tournament so close to my heart. Thank you to the Chinese people for the truly incredible support all week. No place like Beijing.”
