Australian tennis player Rinky Hijikata almost did not play his match in Paris because of a sore neck. But he decided to play, and he earned the biggest win of his career by beating tennis star Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic won the first set easily with a score of 6-2. Hijikata then changed the match. He hit many powerful shots from the back of the court and won the next two sets 6-3 and 6-3.
Hijikata is 28 years old and ranked number 83 in the world. He said his neck did not feel good before the match, but he felt a burst of energy when he stepped onto the court. Djokovic praised Hijikata after the match and said the Australian player made very few mistakes.
The loss ended the 2026 tennis season for the 39-year-old Djokovic. Hijikata will now play against Argentine player Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the next round of the tournament.