On a cool afternoon in Playford, the crowd had just begun to settle into the rhythm of an all-Australian QF showdown when an unexpected twist sent a ripple of concern across the tennis court. Rinky Hijikata, the 24-year-old rising star known for his grit and relentless baseline work, suddenly paused mid-rally, wincing as he looked down at his left knee.

A scrape – small but deep enough – had broken the skin. Blood began to trickle, and within moments, what had been a tense first-set battle came to an abrupt standstill. At 3-4, 15-15 on James McCabe’s serve, the chair umpire signaled a Medical Time Out (MTO) as the medical team rushed in to assess the injury.

For a player like Hijikata, whose game thrives on explosive movement and low-court coverage, a bleeding knee was more than just a stinging inconvenience. As he sat courtside, the medical team carefully cleaned the area, applying pressure and dressing the scrape while fans watched in quiet anticipation. 

With the knee patched up, Hijikata returned to the baseline, ready to resume the dogfight. But the drama of the day wasn’t finished. Just when the match regained its rhythm, clouds that had been quietly looming overhead finally made their move. A drizzle became a downpour, and the umpire – after a few glances at an increasingly soaked court – called for play to be suspended. The QF was halted for a second time, this time by forces entirely out of the players’ control. 

With a score of 7-6(2), 3-0 in favor of Hijikata, both Aussies will have to wait out the weather and the tension until the Playford skies clear and the battle can result. This match at the Challenger Playford, AU marks the fourth meeting between these two tennis stars (also the third faceoff in 2025). Currently, James McCabe leads the H2H record by 2-1. Can Hijikata maintain the lead and put things on level terms with his compatriot in the H2H sheet?

Time will tell! But how has Rinky Hijikata’s overall season been in 2025, and what are the major goals in his career? Let’s find out more about this young Aussie.

Aussie tennis star Rinky Hijikata sets his sights higher, chasing glory beyond doubles success

Rinky Hijikata has always carried himself with the quiet determination of someone who knows there’s more inside him – more to show, more to prove, more to achieve. For years, fans have watched him dart around the court with that trademark grit, often shining brightest in the pressure-cooker moments in doubles. But as 2025 rolls on, the 24-year-old Aussie has begun rewriting his own script.

If we take a look at his career, he’s currently ranked 125th in singles, while it’s 58th in doubles. His best record at the majors in singles was reaching the fourth round of the US Open in 2023. But guess what? In doubles, he is already a Grand Slam champion! He won the doubles title at the 2023 AO alongside his compatriot Jason Kubler. Surprisingly, both Hijikata and Kubler have now suffered a painful blow at Playford this year! In 2025, he reached the finals of Wimbledon with the Dutchman David Pel, but their “incredible story” ended with a defeat against Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.

In October 2025, during a conversation on The Sit-Down podcast, Rinky Hijikata spoke about his tennis goals. After having already tasted success in doubles, he now wants to repeat similar feats in singles as well. 

“I guess my dream’s kind of always been to play in those matches, in the singles court on those big courts against the best players in the world. That’s what I’ve always dreamt of doing.”

We saw him struggling a bit with an abdominal injury after the Wimbledon Championships. Injuries have been a serious hindrance in his tennis career at times. So, other than setting up big goals in singles, he also added a few other things that he wants to work on for better results.

“I definitely want to make sure I’m healthy first and foremost. I feel like that’s probably the most important thing, and then I just keep trying to do whatever I can to improve and maximize my tennis career.”

What are your thoughts on this young Aussie tennis star? Do you think he has some real potential to excel at the highest level? Share your thoughts in the comments section.