Rinky Hijikata Bio
Rinky Hijikata (土方 凛輝; born 23 February 2001) is an Australian professional tennis player. He is best known for his work in doubles, where he captured a major title at the 2023 Australian Open alongside countryman Jason Kubler, and he also competes actively on the singles tour. Standing 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) tall and playing right-handed with a two-handed backhand, Hijikata has built a steady presence on the ATP circuit since turning professional in 2021.
Born in Sydney to Japanese immigrant parents, Hijikata combines a Japanese heritage with an Australian upbringing, training base, and national identity. He reached a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 23 on 30 October 2023 and a career-high singles ranking of No. 62 on 26 August 2024, achievements that have established him as one of Australia’s rising players.
Early Life and Background
Rinky Hijikata was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 23 February 2001, into a family of Japanese immigrants. He first picked up a tennis racket at age three or four, and the sport quickly became a central part of his childhood. His father works as a tennis coach, which gave Hijikata early and consistent access to professional guidance and a strong grounding in the game.
He attended The King’s School in Sydney from 2013 to 2016, balancing his schooling with an increasingly serious junior tennis schedule. Growing up, he cited Lleyton Hewitt as his favorite player, and later Kei Nishikori, reflecting an appreciation for tenacious baseliners and competitors who combine speed with fight. These early influences helped shape the aggressive, court-covering style he would later show at the professional level.
Path to Professional Tennis
Hijikata’s transition toward professional tennis accelerated when he moved to the United States to play college tennis. He joined the University of North Carolina, where he competed for the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s tennis program from 2019 to 2021. During this period, he sharpened his game against high-level collegiate competition and prepared for the demands of the professional tour.
His progress on the junior and lower professional circuits drew early attention. In October 2018, he won a silver medal in boys’ doubles at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, partnering Bulgaria’s Adrian Andreev. He was recognized at home with the Newcombe Medal for Male Junior Athlete of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, awards that underlined his status as one of Australia’s most promising young players before he turned professional in 2021.
Rinky Hijikata Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Hijikata made his ITF debut in March 2018 at the Australia F3 in Mornington, winning his first match the following week at the Australia F4. Later that year, his Youth Olympics silver medal signaled his potential on an international stage. In 2019, he received a wildcard into qualifying for the 2019 Australian Open men’s singles and, in September 2019, won his first professional singles title at the M15 Fayetteville in Arkansas.
He continued to gather experience through 2020 and 2021, receiving Australian Open qualifying wildcards in both years. In 2021, he won his second and third ITF titles in July and finished the year with four ITF World Tennis Tour singles titles overall. By 22 November 2021, he had reached a year-end singles ranking of 369, completing his transition from promising junior to working professional.
ATP and Major Breakthrough (2022)
In January 2022, Hijikata made his ATP tour debut at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 1 after qualifying, where he recorded his first top-100 win by defeating world No. 98 Henri Laaksonen in the final round of qualifying. He went on to break into the ATP top 300 in April after winning consecutive ITF events in California, and he qualified for the 2022 Los Cabos Open, where he earned his first ATP main-draw win and faced world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
His biggest 2022 breakthrough came at the Challenger level, where he won his maiden Challenger title in Playford, Australia, jumping 33 positions to world No. 159 on 31 October 2022. He also made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open as a wildcard, completing a season in which he became the youngest Australian to win a Challenger title since Alexei Popyrin in 2018.
Major Doubles Title and Top-100 Singles (2023)
2023 marked the defining year of Hijikata’s career. At the Australian Open, he earned his first Grand Slam singles win by defeating Yannick Hanfmann before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas. In men’s doubles, partnering Jason Kubler, the all-Australian team defeated three seeded pairs, including top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarterfinals, before beating Hugo Nys and Jan Zieliński in the final to lift the title.
He reached his first ATP singles quarterfinal on the grass at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships and later advanced to the fourth round of the 2023 US Open as a wildcard, a run that pushed him into the top 100 in singles at world No. 82. In doubles, he captured his second ATP title at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships with Max Purcell, climbing to a career-high No. 23 in the doubles rankings on 23 October 2023.
Top 65 in Singles and ATP 500 Debut (2024)
Hijikata opened 2024 with a quarterfinal at the Brisbane International, highlighted by wins over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tomáš Macháč. He recorded his first clay-court win over fifth seed Christopher Eubanks at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships and made his ATP 500 main-draw debut as a qualifier at the Queen’s Club Championships, reaching the quarterfinals with a retirement win over Frances Tiafoe.
His steady results pushed him to a career-high singles ranking of No. 62 on 26 August 2024, after advancing to his fourth ATP quarterfinal of the season at the Winston-Salem Open. At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships in doubles, he partnered John Peers and defeated the legendary Murray brothers in the first round, a memorable moment in his growing doubles resume.
Wimbledon Doubles Finalist and Top-10 Win (2025–2026)
At the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Hijikata partnered David Pel as an alternate pair and advanced to the men’s doubles final. En route, they upset third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz and top seeds Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić, before finishing as runners-up to Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. The run cemented his reputation as a dangerous big-stage doubles player.
At the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, he reached the fourth round of a Masters 1000 for the first time, defeating 20th seed Luciano Darderi and top-10 player Alexander Bublik for his first top-10 victory. The result returned him to the top 100 in the live singles rankings and signaled a strong step forward in his singles development.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hijikata plays a right-handed game built around a two-handed backhand, with movement and competitiveness as defining traits. He has shown comfort on hard courts and grass, reaching his first ATP semifinal on grass at the 2023 Rosmalen event, and he has gradually added clay-court weapons to his game. His doubles instincts, net coverage, and returning depth have made him a reliable partner in team events.
Notable Events and Milestones
The 2023 Australian Open doubles title stands as his signature achievement, while his run to the fourth round of the 2023 US Open marks his deepest singles result at a major. He also reached the 2025 Wimbledon doubles final and, in 2026, recorded his first top-10 singles win over Alexander Bublik at Indian Wells, a milestone that reflects his continued growth on the ATP tour.
Rinky Hijikata Career Wins
Across singles, doubles, and Challenger events, Rinky Hijikata has built a varied trophy collection since 2019. His biggest titles are the 2023 Australian Open men’s doubles crown with Jason Kubler and the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships doubles title with Max Purcell, supplemented by a deep slate of ITF and Challenger trophies.
ATP Tour Highlights
Hijikata has won two ATP Tour doubles titles, beginning with the 2023 Australian Open alongside Jason Kubler. He added a second ATP doubles title at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships with Max Purcell, a victory that lifted him to a career-high No. 23 in the doubles rankings. In singles, he has yet to win an ATP title but has reached multiple quarterfinals on the main tour.
Other Wins and Performances
On the ATP Challenger Tour, Hijikata has won at least one title, starting with his maiden Challenger crown in Playford, Australia, in 2022. He has also won multiple ITF World Tennis Tour singles and doubles titles, including four ITF singles titles in 2021 alone. He captured a silver medal in boys’ doubles at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, an early indicator of his doubles pedigree.
Rinky Hijikata Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hijikata was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Sydney, giving him a bicultural upbringing that links him to both Japan and Australia. His father is a tennis coach, and the family’s support for the sport has been a steady influence on his development from childhood through the professional ranks.
Personal Life
Outside of tennis, Hijikata’s personal life has remained largely private, with no public information about a spouse, partner, or children. He continues to be identified by his Australian nationality and his connection to Sydney, where he grew up before moving to the United States for his college career at the University of North Carolina.
2025 Season Performance
For 2025, the headline moment of Hijikata’s season came at Wimbledon, where he reached the men’s doubles final as an alternate pairing with David Pel. The run included upset wins over third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz and the top-seeded team of Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić, ending with a final loss to Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.
He continued to log time on the singles side, reaching the second round of the 2025 French Open and the second round of Wimbledon. These results, combined with regular ATP main-draw appearances, kept him active across surfaces and helped him maintain a consistent ranking presence throughout the year.
Looking ahead, Hijikata’s 2025 form pointed toward further gains in both singles and doubles. With experience of a Grand Slam doubles final behind him and a steadily improving singles ranking, he entered 2026 positioned to push deeper into Masters 1000 events and to challenge for additional ATP doubles titles.
