Why ‘china open’ trended in India: Medvedev’s default, Djokovic’s final run and tournament facts

Indian tennis fans pushed “china open” into Google Trends on 6 October 2026, with roughly 1,000 searches recorded over the previous 24 hours and a 100% growth signal. The spike was driven by a dramatic incident in Beijing: Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his semi-final against Novak Djokovic after an angry swipe sent a ball into the crowd.

What happened in the Medvedev–Djokovic semi-final?

According to BBC Sport, Djokovic was serving for a place in the final when a ball ricocheted off the back of the court. Medvedev struck it into the stands, where it hit a spectator in the face. Within minutes, tournament officials defaulted the Russian under ATP rules that prohibit hitting a ball dangerously, recklessly or with negligent disregard for the consequences.

The default meant Djokovic advanced directly to the championship match. Medvedev, meanwhile, forfeits all prize money and ranking points earned during his Beijing run. He remains in the eighth and final qualifying spot for November’s ATP Finals, but losing those points — reported as 200 — could still prove costly. The 30-year-old has apologised and said he hopes to say sorry to the spectator in person.

A pattern of on-court trouble

This was not an isolated outburst. BBC Sport’s account notes Medvedev was fined more than £60,000 at the 2025 Australian Open, had a notorious meltdown at the 2025 US Open after a photographer walked on court mid-match, and famously sprinkled coins at an umpire’s feet at Wimbledon in 2017. He has previously admitted he does not understand why his temper flares only on court.

China Open 2026: the basics

The tournament is a combined WTA 1000 and ATP 500 event played on outdoor hard courts at the China National Tennis Center in Beijing, running from 30 September to 11 October 2026. The WTA’s official overview lists a total financial commitment of $9,415,725, a 96-player women’s singles draw and a Diamond Court that seats 15,000 fans. On the women’s side, the final was set between Mirra Andreeva and Zheng Qinwen, with Zheng becoming the first Chinese finalist in the event’s history, per the tournament’s official site. The men’s and women’s draws run at the same venue but are separate competitions with their own points and prize money.

What the India trend data actually shows

The Google Trends India signal, observed on 6 October 2026, confirms search interest — not the truth of any rumours circulating about the incident. Trending counts are approximate search activity, not website traffic, so readers should verify match details through official tournament pages or established sports outlets rather than social media chatter.