Novak Djokovic reached the 2026 China Open final. This advancement came after the semifinals in Beijing, where Daniil Medvedev withdrew from the match due to an unexpected error.
Semifinal Details
Djokovic, a six-time champion of this tournament, was serving for victory at 7-5, 5-3, 15/15 when a ball hit the back wall. Medvedev instinctively threw the ball towards the spectators, which led to his ejection from the match.
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This victory marks Djokovic's first final in the ATP 500 since his championship in Astana in 2022. He will face Alex de Minaur, the fifth-ranked Australian player, in the final on Tuesday. Djokovic leads his head-to-head record against de Minaur with 3 wins and 1 loss.
Djokovic's Emotions
Regarding the semifinal events, Djokovic said: "I was honestly a bit surprised. I feel sorry for the person who got hurt. I didn’t really see what happened and I hope he’s not seriously injured. On the other hand, I feel for Daniil too, because I know what it feels like to be forced out of a big match like that. I was also ejected in a similar situation in 2020 at the US Open. I’m sure Daniil didn’t mean to do it intentionally. It just happens."
Before Medvedev's ejection, the two players showcased an exciting semifinal on the central court in Beijing that lasted 2 hours and 29 minutes. Medvedev, who won the Hangzhou title last week, came into the match with confidence and a streak of 8 consecutive victories.
However, Djokovic came back from an early setback and got close to victory by breaking Medvedev's serve twice in the second set. He said: "I was three points away from winning. It was a tough battle and I definitely didn’t want to go to a third set. It seemed like that was going to happen. I don’t know how many break points I saved; it was really crazy. It’s always a big battle with Daniil, and playing him in slow conditions is very difficult. But we move forward."
