Rinky Hijikata beats Novak Djokovic from a set down in Paris Masters Round 2

Rinky Hijikata came back from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in the Round 2 of the ATP Paris Masters, ending the Serb’s ATP Finals qualification bid and leaving the Live Race open.

The Australian qualifier was facing the seven-time champion on a run of form built in the same draw. Before the Djokovic tie, Hijikata had upset top-21 player Luciano Darderi for the third time this year, a result that set up a potential meeting with Djokovic in Paris.

From Darderi to Djokovic

Hijikata’s win over Darderi was not a one-off. The Australian had already beaten the Italian twice earlier in the year, then did it again in Paris to advance into the tie that nobody outside the draw was previewing as a classic. The win over Djokovic, in which Hijikata trailed in the first set before turning the match, is the biggest of his professional career and it carries immediate rankings consequences.

Djokovic needed a deep run in Paris to move into the top eight and keep his ATP Finals hopes alive. With Jannik Sinner dealing with injury, the qualifying picture was top eight, and effectively nine, and Djokovic’s exit in Round 2 closed that route. The ATP Tour’s Live Race stays open after the upset, with the field behind the automatic qualifiers still in contention.

For Hijikata, the match is reported as one of the biggest wins of his career. It follows the earlier Darderi victory and confirms that the qualifier’s Paris run was not based on a single lucky break. He next faces Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the Round of 16 at the Rolex Paris Masters 2026, the match listed on the tournament schedule after Djokovic’s exit.

What happens next is straightforward: Hijikata carries the confidence of two top-level wins into a Round of 16 match against Etcheverry, while the ATP Finals race keeps moving without Djokovic. The live race remains open, and Hijikata’s next match in Paris is the one now attached to that race.