Rinky Hijikata Faces Novak Djokovic in Career-Defining Paris Clash

Nov. 4, 2026 | 4:17 pm GMT

Rinky Hijikata is playing the best tennis of his career. Now, he faces the ultimate test.

The 25-year-old Australian arrives at a showdown with Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Paris Masters riding a personal-best 16 tour-level wins this season. Having battled through qualifying to reach the main draw, Hijikata acknowledges that to knock out the record seven-time champion, he must sustain an elite level without a single lapse.

“Novak is statistically the greatest player of all time,” Hijikata told ATPTour.com in Paris. “There’s not much he hasn’t accomplished in this sport. Either way, I think it’s going to be a really fun match.“

Ranked No. 77 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Hijikata has steadily built momentum through hard work and physical resilience. After battling past early-career setbacks and injury hurdles, staying healthy has allowed him to lock in more consistent results.

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His 2026 campaign features standout runs, including a fourth-round appearance at Indian Wells—where he secured his first career Top 10 win against Alexander Bublik—and a quarter-final showing at Queen’s Club. In both instances, he fought through the qualifying rounds to make deep runs.

That aggressive mindset will be tested against Djokovic, who is fighting to secure his spot at the elite Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

“To take him down, you’re going to have to play at a very high level for a long time,” Hijikata said. “There’s no secret. You’re just going to have to come up with some really good stuff, point after point, and he’s not going to give you anything.”

Chiamaka Ejiofor

Athletics correspondent. 5 years covering track and field, basketball, and emerging Nigerian sports. Covers Olympic preparations and Commonwealth Games.