Novak Djokovic closed his 2026 season without qualifying for the ATP Finals for the first time

Novak Djokovic closed his 2026 season without qualifying for the ATP Finals for the first time since 2006, after a second-round defeat at the Paris Masters 1000 left him mathematically short of the Turin cutoff, clarin.com reported. The 39-year-old Serbian, a seven-time champion in the French capital, fell to Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, ending a run that had kept him in the year-end championship conversation until the final tournament of the season.

The loss carried a second historical weight: it marked the first time in 21 years that Djokovic finished a season without reaching the quarterfinals of at least one Masters 1000 event. His previous closest brush came in 2005, his first full year on the ATP Tour, when he lost in the opening round at Cincinnati and in the round of 16 in Paris.

How the Match Turned

Djokovic took the first set without difficulty, but Hijikata, playing through qualifying, began matching him from the second set onward. The Australian capitalized on a drop in Djokovic’s serving level to level the match, then controlled the third set to close out the upset. ESPN’s Argentine service described the result as one of the shocks of the day, noting Djokovic ran out of energy down the stretch.

Speaking to L’Equipe after the match, Djokovic acknowledged the collapse: “I’m disappointed. I played well in the first set and then completely lost control. He played very well; he didn’t miss anything. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my chances in the third and completely lost control of the match. Nobody likes to lose. It’s just another match, but I should have won it.” He added that his back was not at its best but stressed that was no excuse, and said he was looking forward to resting.

The Points Gap That Sealed Turin

Djokovic entered Paris needing a deep run to reach the ATP Finals, and a semifinal appearance was required to secure a spot among the eight qualifiers. The loss left his season total at 2,940 points, well behind the 3,234 currently held by Rafael Jódar, who occupies the eighth and final qualifying position. ESPN.com.ar noted the Serbian had been chasing the record of 17 ATP Finals appearances held by Roger Federer; Djokovic entered 2026 with 16.

The 2026 miss breaks a streak dating to 2007, when Djokovic first played the year-end championship. The only other season he failed to qualify was 2017, and that absence came because he stopped playing after withdrawing from the Wimbledon quarterfinals with a right-elbow injury, missing the entire second half of the year. Every other season from 2007 through 2025, he earned a berth — even when he later chose not to play, as he did in 2024 and 2025 despite qualifying.

A Shorter Schedule, Same Result

Djokovic had entered the fall swing with renewed interest in the ATP Finals, telling reporters at the ATP 500 in Beijing that he would play if he qualified. He played a deliberately reduced calendar in 2026, appearing in 31 matches compared with 46 in 2024 and 51 in 2025, in an effort to manage physical issues that included back, hip and shoulder discomfort, stomach problems, and energy fluctuations linked to heat and humidity sensitivity. Before his Paris debut — a three-set win over Valentin Vacherot — he said he had been feeling better and that his performance and enjoyment on court had improved when his body cooperated.

That improvement was not enough to carry him past Hijikata. The defeat also extended a difficult late-season stretch that included round-of-16 losses at Indian Wells to Jack Draper and second-round exits at Rome, Cincinnati and Shanghai, leaving him without a quarterfinal appearance at any Masters 1000 in 2026.

Etcheverry Advances Past Hijikata

With the Paris loss, Djokovic’s competitive season is over. Hijikata advanced to face Tomás Etcheverry, who had defeated Alex de Miñaur in the second round. The ATP Finals in Turin will proceed without Djokovic for the first time since 2006.

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