‘He Was Playing Out of His Mind’: Rinky Hijikata Stuns Novak Djokovic in Paris and Ends His Turin Dream as Alex de Minaur’s Finals Hopes Crumble on the Same Day of Australian Tennis Drama
- Rinky Hijikata recovered from a lopsided first set to beat 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters, hitting 37 winners along the way.
- The loss knocks Djokovic out of contention for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. He needed to reach the semifinals in Paris to qualify.
- On the same day, Australian number one Alex de Minaur lost to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry. That defeat leaves him stranded in ninth place in the race for Turin.
- Hijikata and Etcheverry will now meet in the third round, with a place in the later stages of the final Masters event of the year at stake.
For one set, it looked like a routine night for Novak Djokovic.
Then Rinky Hijikata changed it completely.
The Sydney-born battler, a player many casual fans still know mainly for his doubles exploits, produced the biggest singles win of his career in Paris.
He came from a set down to beat the most decorated man in tennis history. He also ended the Serbian’s hopes of a place at this month’s season-ending showpiece.
It was a result that reached well beyond the scoreline. And on the same day, Australia’s leading man suffered a painful defeat of his own.
The final scoreline read 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Hijikata struck 37 winners, 29 of them off his forehand, as he overturned a dominant opening set from Djokovic in their second-round clash at the Paris Masters.
The stakes for the 24-time major winner were clear. A run to the semifinals in the French capital would have earned him a place at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Instead, he leaves Paris early.
Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, a beaming Hijikata admitted he had been outclassed in the first set. He said he could barely lay a racquet on Djokovic’s serve and joked that the Serbian had been firing down aces at will.
His plan, he explained, was simple: stay in the contest, play aggressively and stamp his authority on the rallies. He said he was relieved to sustain that standard for so long and to back himself when the big moments arrived.
Djokovic did not hide his frustration. He said he felt he had been in command for a set and several games before the Australian came alive.
He conceded his own serve dropped off in the second set, and said Hijikata was “playing out of his mind”, missing almost nothing and keeping the ball low.
The veteran called it a terrific performance from his opponent. He also insisted that this was a match he should have won, saying he lost control after a strong start.
Across the draw at the Plenitude Arena, the news for Australian tennis was far less welcome.
Alex de Minaur, the nation’s top-ranked man, went down 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to Argentine world number 31 Tomas Martin Etcheverry. It was the South American’s first career win over a top-10 opponent.
De Minaur had his chances. Etcheverry was the more effective server for most of the opening set, but he faltered while serving at 5-6.
He handed the Australian two set points, and de Minaur could not take either.
The Argentine steadied, forced a tiebreak and outlasted de Minaur in a series of long, grinding rallies, winning the final five points. Early in the second set, at 2-3, de Minaur served a costly double fault.
It gave Etcheverry the decisive break, and he never looked like giving it back.
Context makes the loss even more painful.
Paris is the last tournament where players can earn points for Turin, and de Minaur had been chasing a third straight appearance at the elite eight-man event.
He now sits ninth in the live standings, one place behind Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, with no way of adding points. His only realistic route into the field is a withdrawal from someone in the top eight.
Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, who has already secured his place, is missing Paris with a leg injury. He is expected to be fit for Turin, however, and other players could still overtake de Minaur before the week is out.
His uneven display in Paris reflected a season of peaks and troughs for the 27-year-old, whose consistency has long been the foundation of his game.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
The two results paint a mixed picture of where Australian tennis stands at the end of a long season.
On one hand, Hijikata’s win is a reminder that Australian depth is real. Players below the headline names can still beat the best on the biggest stages.
For young players coming through local academies and the Tennis Australia pathway, seeing a home-grown player topple Djokovic carries real weight.
On the other hand, de Minaur’s likely absence from Turin would leave the nation without a singles representative at the ATP Finals, after two years in which he was a fixture there.
That matters for prize money, ranking points and global visibility. It also matters for the commercial pull of the sport ahead of the summer swing.
There are financial stakes too. The run-in to the Australian Open relies heavily on local storylines.
A Hijikata surge gives promoters and broadcasters a new hero to sell to audiences, while questions about de Minaur’s form will dominate the early January conversation.
For Hijikata, the immediate payoff is ranking points and a third-round meeting with Etcheverry, the same man who has just sent de Minaur home. He will have every chance to keep going.
Tennis analysts say Hijikata’s forehand numbers against Djokovic show a player who has matured. In their view, he is now able to hold his nerve when his tactics are under pressure, rather than retreating into defence.
Observers on the ATP Tour note that Djokovic’s serving drop-off after the first set was unusual. Some suggest the end of a gruelling season may finally be taking a toll on the 24-time major champion.
Others caution against reading too much into a single match.
Coaching insiders believe de Minaur’s tiebreak loss, and the double fault that followed, point to the fine margins that have hurt him this year. They argue he must sharpen his ability to close out key moments if he is to return to the top tier in 2027.
Commentators following the race to Turin warn that the next few days could still bring surprises. They say it would be unwise for de Minaur to give up entirely on a late call-up.
For now, Australian fans are left with two very different stories from the same Paris arena: one of a breakthrough, and one of a season that fell just short.