Rinky Hijikata stuns Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters
Rinky Hijikata produced the biggest victory of his career at the Paris Masters, defeating Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round and end the Serbian’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals. The 28-year-old Australian, ranked No 83 in the world, had continued his run from qualifying with an aggressive display built around low, consistent groundstrokes and a barrage of baseline winners.
Hijikata became only the fourth Australian to defeat Djokovic, joining Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt. The result was also his fourth win over a top-20 player in 2026, after he had never previously recorded one, and moved him within a victory of a new career-high ranking inside the world’s top 60. He was also the lowest-ranked player to beat the seven-time Paris champion this year.
The upset was particularly remarkable because Hijikata had considered withdrawing after hurting his neck the previous day. He said the problem still troubled him on the morning of the match, but adrenaline allowed him to compete. Djokovic, who had reached the Australian Open final in January and won his 102nd tour-level title in Beijing last month, admitted that he had lost control after dominating the opening set. The 39-year-old’s defeat ended his chance of extending his season to the championship he has won seven times. Hijikata next faces Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who defeated Australia’s world No 9 Alex de Minaur 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
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