At the China Open in Beijing and Shanghai Masters on October 5, tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Terence Atmane faced penalties and backlash after hitting a spectator with a ball and throwing a racket toward the stands, threatening fan safety.
Tags:Source: OT-Team(G), 上观新闻, 新京报
Two separate incidents during China’s tennis season on October 5 highlighted the consequences of losing control on court, with one player defaulted after hitting a spectator and another appearing to throw his racket toward the stands.
At the China Open in Beijing, third-seeded Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from his men’s singles semifinal against Novak Djokovic after a ball he hit struck a spectator in the face.
Medvedev was trailing 5–7, 3–5 when Djokovic hit a cross-court winner. During the ensuing dead-ball period, Medvedev hit the ball toward the stands, where it struck a fan in the face. The spectator was subsequently escorted out by staff for medical attention.
After consulting with the tournament supervisor, the chair umpire applied the relevant rule and defaulted Medvedev from the match. Under the rules, a player can be disqualified for hitting a ball recklessly, violently or angrily during a dead-ball period if it causes actual injury to someone on court, regardless of whether the player intended to cause harm.
Medvedev apologized shortly after the match and said he was trying to contact the spectator.
“First of all, I want to deeply apologize to this spectator,” Medvedev said. “I’m trying to contact him and, if he is willing, I would like to apologize in person and find out how he is doing.”
Medvedev said the incident was completely accidental and that he had not been hitting the ball out of anger. He explained that the ball had bounced back and that he casually hit it toward the court to prevent it from rolling away.
“I sometimes have emotional moments, but I would never intentionally hit a ball around in frustration,” he said, adding that he felt terrible when he saw the ball hit the spectator.
Medvedev said his immediate concern was the spectator’s condition and that he hoped to meet him and make amends.
The default is also expected to carry significant consequences for Medvedev. Reports indicate that he could lose the 200 ranking points and $200,000 in prize money associated with reaching the semifinal. Spanish sports newspaper Marca also reported that the ATP could impose an additional fine of up to $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Later the same day, another incident occurred at the Shanghai Masters qualifying tournament.
French player Terence Atmane, then ranked No. 99 in the ATP rankings, was facing defeat in the deciding set of his first-round qualifying match when he threw his racket toward the spectator area. The racket struck a barrier and narrowly avoided hitting fans. Atmane subsequently retired from the match and left the court.
The two incidents were different in important respects. Medvedev’s ball struck a spectator during a dead-ball period, and he said the contact was accidental. Atmane, by contrast, deliberately threw a hard racket toward the stands, creating a direct safety risk for spectators.
Atmane, 24, has previously attracted attention for his conduct on court. A week before the Shanghai tournament, he retired during another event in China, while at this year’s US Open he was fined $7,500 by the ATP for inappropriate on-court language. Further disciplinary action following the Shanghai incident is possible.
Both cases nevertheless underscore the same basic issue: professional players are expected to manage their emotions within the boundaries of competition. Tennis allows players to express frustration, but the rules place clear limits on conduct that could endanger others.
The ATP rules provide for penalties including fines, ranking-point deductions and suspensions for various forms of reckless or abusive conduct. Tournament officials and the ATP are responsible for determining the appropriate sanctions based on the circumstances of each incident.
For spectators, the expectation is straightforward: they attend matches to watch professional competition, not to face avoidable safety risks caused by players losing control.
In professional tennis, performance determines what happens on the scoreboard, but conduct on and off the court also remains an important part of the sport.
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