Novak Djokovic’s Paris Masters campaign ended in a stunning defeat on Wednesday, as Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata came from a set down to beat the seven-time champion 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. The loss ended the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin.
A match he should have won
“Nobody loves losing but it’s just another match, I know I should have won this match,” Djokovic said in his post-match press interview. “I played well first set but then lost control of the match after that.” The Serb had been dominant in the first set, closing it out 6-2 in under 40 minutes, but Hijikata turned the match around by breaking in the eighth game of the second set.
The qualifier who nearly withdrew
Hijikata, ranked No. 83 in the world, had been bothered by a neck issue coming into the match and almost withdrew. Instead, he produced one of the biggest wins of his career, finishing with 29 forehand winners and saving all three break points he faced in the final set. The match lasted two hours and 13 minutes, and it was Hijikata’s first win over Djokovic in three meetings.
The defeat carries historic weight. Hijikata joins Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt as the only Australians to beat Djokovic, and his win was his first over the Serb in three meetings. For Djokovic, the season ends with a 21-10 record, a 102nd career title at the China Open, a runner-up finish at the Australian Open and a semi-final at Wimbledon. But the failure to qualify for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2017 will sting, and the 39-year-old now faces a long break before deciding what comes next.
An era-defining absence
Djokovic was 11th in the ATP Live Race to Turin and needed at least a semi-final in Paris to stay in the hunt for one of the two remaining places at the ATP Finals, which run from November 15 to 22. The loss means he has failed to qualify for the year-end championships for the first time since 2017, and only the second time in 20 seasons when fit. His season ends with a 21-10 record, a 102nd career title at the China Open, a runner-up finish at the Australian Open and a semi-final at Wimbledon.
