In a development that will delight fans of narrative irony, Rinky Hijikata has revealed he almost didn't take the court before securing the biggest win of his career and ejecting Novak Djokovic from ATP Finals contention.

Hijikata, continuing an inspired run from qualifying, lit up the indoor Plenitude Arena to defeat Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and surge into the Paris Masters third round. The world No. 83 became only the fourth Australian to conquer the mighty Serb, joining Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt - a list that suggests beating Djokovic is a rare and precious Australian tradition, like a decent coffee outside Melbourne.

The victory was the 28-year-old's fourth top-20 scalp of 2026, having never previously claimed one, and thrust Hijikata to within one win of a fresh career-high ranking inside the world's top 60. Not bad for a man who nearly pulled out.

"I just cooked my neck a bit yesterday and, to be honest, it wasn't feeling great last night or this morning," Hijikata said after becoming the lowest-ranked player this year to topple the seven-time Paris champion. "But I guess a bit of adrenaline kicked in and I was going to do whatever I could, so I'm glad about my performance."

Djokovic, who reached the Australian Open final in January and won his 102nd tour-level title in Beijing last month, could not extend his 2026 season further in France. The defeat scuttled the 24-time grand slam winner's chances of qualifying for the season-ending championship, an event he's also won seven times. At 39, the Serb remains a formidable force, but even formidable forces have off days - and this was one of them.

"Disappointment, obviously, losing a match that I felt like I was dominating for a set and a few games," Djokovic said. "Then he was switched on. I wasn't serving as well in the second set. He was just playing out of his mind, honestly. He was not missing, keeping the ball low. It was a terrific performance. Nobody loves losing. It's just another match, but I should've won this match. I played well in the first set and then completely lost control."

Hijikata next faces Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the Argentine who crushed De Minaur's hopes of making Turin for a third straight year with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory over Australia's world No. 9. Because if there's one thing the Paris Masters loves, it's an Australian underdog story followed immediately by an Argentine spoiler.