Rinky Hijikata produced the biggest win of his career by knocking Novak Djokovic out of the Paris Masters in the second round. The Australian, ranked 83rd in the world, won 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the French capital, becoming the lowest-ranked player to beat the 10th seed this year.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion in Paris, needed at least a semi-final appearance to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin later this month. The defeat means he has failed to qualify for the ATP Finals for only the second time in the last 20 seasons when fit.
Hijikata's career-best victory
The 25-year-old struggled physically during the match but still managed to overcome the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Speaking to BB Tennis, Hijikata said: "It's definitely the biggest win of my career so far. Just to be on the court with him is an absolute honour."
He added: "Like many of the guys, I've grown up watching him play, and seeing what he's done for this sport is incredible. Just to be out there was great. To get the win is unimaginable."
Hijikata also revealed he nearly did not play due to his own physical issues. "I just cooked my neck a bit yesterday and, to be honest, it wasn't feeling great last night or this morning," he said. "But I guess a bit of adrenaline kicked in and I was going to do whatever I could, so I'm glad about my performance."
Djokovic's season ends in disappointment
Despite the loss, Djokovic praised his opponent's display, saying Hijikata was playing "out of his mind". The 39-year-old said: "Disappointment, obviously, losing a match that I felt like I was dominating for a set and a few games. Then he was switched on. I wasn't serving as well in the second set. He was just playing out of his mind, honestly. He was not missing, keeping the ball low. It was a terrific performance."
He continued: "He played really amazing tennis and it was my fault to let the control of the match go. Nobody loves losing. It's just another match, but I should've won this match. I played well in the first set and then completely lost control. I'm looking forward to it [a break from tennis]."
The defeat marked Djokovic's worst loss of the season by ranking, and he failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of this year's nine Masters 1000 tournaments. The Serb has not won a Grand Slam since 2023, and due to his health problems, it has been suggested 2027 could be his final year on the ATP Tour before retirement.
