Novak Djokovic admitted he “completely lost control” of his second-round match at the Paris Masters as he suffered a shock defeat to qualifier Rinky Hijikata. The world No. 83 became the lowest-ranked man to beat the 24-time Major champion this season, bringing Djokovic’s 2026 campaign to an abrupt end.
The 2-6 6-3 6-3 loss means the Serbian cannot qualify for the ATP Finals, a goal he had openly stated for the year. With no ATP 250 events scheduled for next week, Djokovic will not return to a match court until 2027.
Season Ends with 21-10 Record
Djokovic finished the season with a 21-10 win-loss record, having reached the Australian Open final and won his 102nd career title at the China Open in Beijing. He also dealt with an undisclosed health issue this year, which he said often bothered him in hot and humid conditions.
Despite uncharacteristic early exits to lower-ranked players this season, including at the Cincinnati Open and US Open, Djokovic believed he should have beaten Hijikata. “Nobody loves losing, but that’s just another match… But, you know, I should have won this match. I played well the first set and then completely lost control of the match,” the world No. 11 told reporters after the match.
Physical Struggles and No Excuses
Djokovic had less than 24 hours to recover after beating recent Basel champion Valentin Vacherot in his first-round match on Tuesday. After taking out world No. 27 Vacherot, the 39-year-old admitted it was a tiring match.
During the match against Hijikata, Djokovic appeared to struggle with fitness, doubling over between points early in the third set, but he refused to make excuses. “Not the freshest, but it’s not an excuse for the loss,” Djokovic added.
The 24-time Major champion will now head into the off-season and has confirmed his plans to compete in the 2027 Australian Open. Asked what he would do in the coming weeks, Djokovic replied: “Just rest. I’m looking forward to it.”
Hijikata Advances Despite Injury
Hijikata will now face Tomas Martin Etcheverry after what was the second-biggest win of his career. The qualifier revealed he was unsure whether he would be able to play after hurting his neck.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be able to take the court today. So I was just happy I could come out and play,” the 25-year-old said. “I just crooked my neck a bit yesterday and yeah, to be honest, it wasn’t feeling great last night and this morning. But I guess a bit of adrenaline kicked in and I was going to do whatever it took to get out, so I’m glad with the performance I put in.”
