24-time Grand Slam men’s singles record holder Novak Djokovic’s 2024 competitive season came to an abrupt close in the second round of the Paris Masters, after a shock three-set defeat to world No. 83 qualifier Rinky Hijikata of Australia, eliminating the 39-year-old Serb from contention for a spot at the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. Entering the Paris event, Djokovic faced a steep path to secure his berth, with a semi-final finish widely calculated as the minimum required to lock in a top-eight ranking spot. Even as two of his direct rivals for the remaining qualifying slots crashed out earlier in the match day, the draw’s unexpected openness failed to work in his favor.
Djokovic stormed out to a dominant opening set, dropping Hijikata 6-2, but the low-ranked Australian ratcheted up his intensity sharply late in the second set, winning the frame 6-3 before closing out the deciding set 6-3. Across the latter two frames, Djokovic showed clear signs of physical fatigue and uncharacteristic unforced errors, ceding full control of the match to Hijikata, who played near-flawless tennis with deep, low bouncing returns that left the 24-time major champion scrambling. In post-match remarks, Djokovic was gracious in defeat: “He was completely locked in from the start of the second set, while my serve never hit the consistent level I needed. He was hitting winners from every angle, barely missing a shot all through the final stretch – it was a career-best performance from him, and I take full responsibility for letting my grip on the match slip. My only plan for the coming weeks is full rest, and I am looking forward to that.”
This marks only the second time in 20 consecutive seasons that a fully fit Djokovic has failed to qualify for the ATP Finals, with the last such occurrence dating back to 2017. The 2024 season has seen a notable dip in the veteran’s form outside of the sport’s biggest stages: he advanced to the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semi-finals, but failed to reach the quarter-final round at any of this year’s ATP Masters 1000 events. His most recent Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open, and a run in Turin would have given him a shot at an unprecedented eighth season-ending championship, a record no other men’s singles player has ever come close to matching.
The two vacant qualifying spots that Djokovic was vying for are now up for grabs exclusively for American stars Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, after earlier upsets eliminated pre-tournament contenders Frances Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur. Tiafoe was ousted in a grueling three-set battle against France’s Quentin Halys, falling 6-3 1-6 7-6 (11-9), while Australia’s de Minaur could not capitalize on the open draw, dropping his match to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Even already qualified top seeds suffered unexpected upsets on the same event day: newly crowned world No. 1 Alexander Zverev exited the tournament in straight sets to Lorenzo Musetti, later telling reporters he was frustrated by the polarized public reaction to his rise to the top of the global rankings. Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, also already locked in for Turin, was upset by Peru’s world No. 33 Ignacio Buse in a straight-set 6-4 6-4 defeat. Fritz narrowly avoided a shock exit, fighting back to beat Slovakia’s Alex Molcan in a third-set tiebreak, while Paul delivered a dominant 6-1 6-1 rout of Spain’s Daniel Merida. Current highest remaining seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced smoothly past American Alex Michelsen with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.
As veteran tennis correspondent Russell Fuller noted, Djokovic’s season, which opened with a record-extending 21st consecutive year with at least one tournament title after his Beijing triumph, has gradually lost momentum in the months since. While the 39-year-old has repeatedly stated that Grand Slam events are his primary motivational driver, his decision to compete in four tournaments following the 2024 US Open signals he is already gearing up to mount a full challenge for the 2027 season, even as his 40th birthday approaches next May. This year’s results, which saw him exit in the French Open third round and US Open first round alongside eight early exits across 11 total tournaments, mark a clear downward shift in his consistency, with the physical demands of top-tier professional tennis set to grow ever more challenging for the aging champion.
Defeat ends Djokovic’s hopes of making ATP Finals
