Daniil Medvedev professional controversies

Daniil Medvedev has been involved in two separate disciplinary and behavioral incidents during ATP tournaments in China.

In Beijing, Medvedev was disqualified from his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic after accidentally striking a spectator in the eye with a tennis ball. The incident resulted in the loss of approximately 200,000 euros in prize money and nearly 200 ranking points. Medvedev later visited the injured fan in the hospital to express regret, stating the hit was not an intentional act of anger. He described the event as an instinctual reaction to losing a point and a “very unfortunate accident,” expressing relief that the fan is doing well. While speaking in Shanghai, Medvedev characterized the disciplinary actions as “bureaucracy” and suggested he may be preparing an appeal, though he remained vague regarding the specifics of a formal challenge.

During the Shanghai Masters semifinals, Medvedev was eliminated by Rafael Jodar with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat following a heated confrontation with chair umpire Adel Nour. The dispute centered on the ATP Tour’s Live Electronic Line Calling (ELC Live) protocol. Medvedev demanded an electronic replay of a shot hit by Jodar, despite protocols typically only allowing reviews of the final shot of a point—which, in this case, was Medvedev’s own error.

Medvedev threatened to retire from the match and stated he “did not care about potential fines” if the replay was not provided. After consulting with a tournament official, the umpire allowed the replay to be shown on the big screen, which confirmed Jodar’s shot was in bounds. Following the loss, Medvedev praised Jodar’s performance, comparing the young Spaniard’s potential to legends such as Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.