Rinky Hijikata has revealed he almost didn’t even take the court before notching the biggest win of his career to send the great Novak Djokovic crashing out of ATP Finals contention. Continuing his inspired run from qualifying, Hijikata lit up the indoor Plenitude Arena to bring down Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to surge into the Paris Masters third round. In sending Djokovic packing under a barrage of baseline winners, the world No 83 joined Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt as only the fourth Australian to conquer the mighty Serb and further enhance his career-best season.
Victory was the 28-year-old’s fourth top-20 scalp of 2026, having never previously claimed one, and thrust Hijikata to within one win of a fresh career-high ranking inside the world’s top 60. Yet the Sydneysider almost withdrew before a ball was even hit on Thursday (AEDT). Defeat scuttled the 24-time grand slam winner’s chances of qualifying for the season-ending championship, an event he’s also won seven times.
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. It’s just another match, but I should’ve won this match. I played well in the first set and then completely lost control.” Hijikata next faces Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the Argentine who crushed De Minaur’s hopes of making Turin for a third straight year with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory over Australia’s world No 9.
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