ATP Tour

Hijikata upsets Djokovic in Paris, leaves Live Race open

Rinky Hijikata added the latest chapter to his career-best season on Wednesday at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he ousted record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round.

After feeling the full force of Djokovic’s resilience, Hijikata dipped into his aggressive arsenal to disrupt the Serbian’s rhythm and outlast him in the baseline exchanges. With his composed two-hour, 13-minute victory, the World No. 83 also ended Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals and added another compelling result to those in the hunt in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

“I wasn’t sure whether I was going to take the court today, so I was happy I could come out and play,” Hijikata said. “He was playing too good for me for the first set and a little bit. I was just trying to hang tough as much as I could, and I was happy to maintain my level for as long as I could.”

Fittingly, it was Hijikata’s 29th forehand winner that brought the memorable victory to a close, marking his fourth career win over a Top-20 player — all of which have come in 2026. Pouncing on a second serve from Djokovic, the Australian unleashed one final attacking shot to seal his first win against the 24-time major champion in their third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting and become the lowest-ranked player to defeat him this year.

“That’s been the key this week for me: To try and impose my game as much as I can and back myself in the big moments,” said Hijikata, who saved all three break points he faced in the final set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “The last few months, I’ve maybe gotten a little bit passive under pressure, but this week I’ve done a good job of sticking to my game and staying aggressive.”

Djokovic reached the final at the Australian Open in January and then won his 102nd tour-level title in Beijing last month, but the Serbian could not extend his 2026 season further in Paris.

“Disappointment, obviously, losing a match that I felt like I was dominating for a set and a few games,” Djokovic said. “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.

“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.”

With two places still available for the season-ending championship, Djokovic needed a run to the semi-finals in Paris to stay alive in his hopes, but his exit leaves the door open for the remaining contenders.

Those include 12th-placed Taylor Fritz and 13th-placed Tommy Paul, who will aim to make their move during the final days of action in the French capital.