Feb 01, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the final of the men’s singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. © Mike Frey-Imagn Images Janhavi Shinde · College Sports Network Thu, November 5, 2026 at 8:41 AM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennis fans reacted to Novak Djokovic's early exit at the Paris Masters, which ruled him out of contention for the ATP Finals.
On Wednesday, Djokovic lost to Australian Rinky Hijikata 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the Round of 32, ending his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals. The Serbian ace won the first set but struggled in the second as the qualifier broke his serve to level the match. In the deciding set, Hijikata broke Djokovic twice to secure the victory.
Djokovic's exit prompted reactions from fans, with one comparing his run to Venus Williams, who has faced 14 consecutive first-round exits this season. Since his China Open victory, Djokovic hasn't advanced past the Round of 16.
"No disrespect to Hijikata, but it's really sad seeing Novak Djokovic losing to basically anyone now. And I'm not even a Novak fan, but it feels like the consolidation of the end of an era," the fan wrote.
Comment by u/Fun_Reflection1157 from discussion
Another fan opined that Djokovic's career is near its end and praised his legendary journey, writing:
One fan suggested that Djokovic should retire, adding:
Novak Djokovic recently spoke about his relationship with Roger Federer, stating that they never became friends because of their iconic rivalry on court. They locked horns with each other 50 times , with the Serbian leading the head-to-head score 27-23. However, Djokovic highlighted Federer's contribution to the sport and impact on younger players.
"My relationship with Roger has always been strictly professional," Djokovic said while speaking to press in Basel . "I have always had a great deal of respect for him, and still do today, because he has contributed so much to our sport. He paved the way for younger generations, and I'm grateful to him for that. But we have never had any kind of relationship off the court. In reality, that's only natural, given that we have always been rivals."
Djokovic and Federer first faced each other in Monte Carlo in 2006, while their semifinal match at the 2020 Australian Open was their last meeting.
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