Novak Djokovic ATP Finals hopes were extinguished on Wednesday when qualifier Rinky Hijikata beat him 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters. The result leaves the 39-year-old Serb out of the race for the season-ending championships in Turin.
It is only the second time in the past 20 seasons, when fit, that Djokovic has failed to qualify for the ATP Finals. He had likely needed a semi-final run in Paris to secure his place, and the draw appeared to open for him after two rivals for a spot lost earlier in the day.
Djokovic began well, taking the opening set, but Hijikata, ranked 83rd, raised his level late in the second set and maintained it through the decider. The Australian kept the ball low, avoided errors and forced Djokovic into a string of mistakes as the Serb appeared laboured and struggled physically. The defeat ended Djokovic’s season.
Afterwards, Djokovic said he was looking forward to rest in the coming weeks. He praised Hijikata’s performance, saying the Australian was switched on and played exceptional tennis, while acknowledging that his own serve was not at its best and that he let control of the match slip.
Season of Grand Slam highs and Masters lows
Djokovic reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semi-finals this year, but he did not advance past the quarter-finals at any Masters 1000 event. His last Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open, and his 24 major singles crowns are a men’s record, tied overall with Margaret Court.
Qualifying for Turin would have given Djokovic a chance to extend his record with an eighth ATP Finals title. Instead, only Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul remain in contention for the final two places, currently held by Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar.
Rivals falter as Turin race tightens
Tiafoe’s fate was taken out of his hands earlier on Wednesday when he lost 6-3 1-6 7-6 (11-9) to Frenchman Quentin Halys. Australian Alex de Minaur then missed a chance to capitalise, falling 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry. A strong run in Paris could have sealed De Minaur’s qualification.
Fritz teetered on the brink of elimination but came through a decisive third-set tie-break to beat 78th-ranked Alex Molcan of Slovakia 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Paul, meanwhile, eased past Spain’s Daniel Merida 6-1 6-1. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, now the highest seed remaining, defeated American Alex Michelsen 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
Zverev and Medvedev also exit
World number one Alexander Zverev and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, both already qualified for Turin, were also beaten in Paris. Zverev lost in straight sets to Lorenzo Musetti and said he was annoyed by the response to him becoming world number one. Medvedev fell 6-4 6-4 to Peruvian world number 33 Ignacio Buse.
For Djokovic, the Paris defeat caps a season in which he played four tournaments after the US Open, having previously admitted that the Grand Slams are his primary motivation. He was a finalist at the Australian Open at 38 but failed to reach the quarter-finals in eight of his eleven tournaments this year. He fell in the third round of the French Open and the first round in New York, and was outplayed by eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
With his 40th birthday approaching in May, Djokovic’s results have shown a noticeable decline, and the challenge is only likely to grow. For now, he heads into the off-season with rest on his mind and his ATP Finals streak broken.
