World No 83 Rinky Hijikata handed Novak Djokovic a shock defeat at the Paris Masters, winning 2-6 6-3 6-3 to end the 24-time Grand Slam champion's bid for the ATP Finals. Djokovic won the opening set but faltered in the decider, committing multiple errors as Hijikata's aggressive forehand play secured the Australian qualifier his first victory against the Serbian. Hijikata became the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic this season.
Djokovic's elimination came after several favorable results earlier Wednesday, when Frances Tiafoe, Rafael Nadal and Alex de Minaur all exited the tournament. The 39-year-old had returned to Paris for the first time in years as a late push to reach the eight-player year-end event in Turin, but needed a deep run to secure qualification.
The loss capped a day of upsets in Paris. Lorenzo Musetti defeated new world No 1 Alexander Zverev while Daniil Medvedev fell to Ignacio Buse. Arthur Fils has qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time, joining Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Medvedev and Flavio Cobolli with two spots remaining for Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.
