Tennis star wants a big rule change after Daniil Medvedev got disqualified at the China Open.
Former US Open winner Andy Roddick has called for clearer rules after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open for accidentally hitting a fan with a ball. Medvedev, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, was disqualified during his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic on October 5. The ball he struck in frustration hit a spectator in the eye.
This happened when Medvedev was losing 7-5, 5-3. After hitting a frustrated backhand, the ball bounced on the court and then flew into the front row, hitting a fan. The spectator seemed hurt and immediately held his eye before being helped out of the arena.
Medvedev talked to the umpire and ATP officials and was then told he was defaulted, meaning Djokovic moved on to play Alex de Minaur in the final. Because of this, Medvedev lost all the ranking points and prize money he would have earned for reaching the semi-finals — 200 points and about £166,000.
Defaults are rare in tennis and happen when a player breaks the sport’s rules. This includes ball abuse or physical and verbal abuse. Usually, players get warnings or point penalties first, but a serious single offense can lead to immediate disqualification, like what happened with Medvedev.
Roddick, who won the US Open in 2003, said the rules should be clearer. On his podcast, he said, “My phone started buzzing with news: Medvedev defaulted. It’s pretty simple—he hit the ball, and it hit a fan, so he was wrong.” He added, “I don’t mind if players break their own stuff, but if a fan gets hit, you’re out. It should be a clear rule with no judgment calls.”
Medvedev quickly apologized to the fan and said he’s trying to get in touch to make sure they’re okay. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said, “and I hope to apologize in person. It was a 100% accident. I didn’t hit the ball in anger. I usually don’t do ball abuse. I just tried to keep the ball in the court, but it ended up hitting him. I feel horrible.”
Novak Djokovic also expressed shock and wished the fan well. He said, “I feel sorry for Daniil too because I know how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose.”