Rinky Hijikata Bio
Rinky Hijikata, born on 23 February 2001 in Sydney, New South Wales, is an Australian professional tennis player. He has built his reputation primarily through doubles, where he reached a career-high ATP ranking of world No. 23 in October 2023, while also attaining a singles peak of No. 62 in August 2024. His biggest career title to date came at the 2023 Australian Open, which he captured in men’s doubles alongside fellow Australian Jason Kubler.
Born to Japanese immigrant parents, Hijikata combines his Australian upbringing with his cultural heritage and represents Australia on the international circuit. He turned professional in 2021 after a successful college stint in the United States and quickly moved through the ATP rankings.
Early Life and Background
Rinky Hijikata was born on 23 February 2001 in Sydney, New South Wales, to Japanese immigrant parents. Growing up in a household shaped by his father’s profession as a tennis coach, he was introduced to the sport at a very young age, picking up a racket when he was three or four years old. This early exposure laid the foundation for a career that would soon blossom on the international stage.
He attended The King’s School in Sydney from 2013 to 2016, balancing his academic education with an increasingly demanding tennis schedule. During his formative years, Hijikata drew inspiration from Australian great Lleyton Hewitt and later from Japanese star Kei Nishikori, both of whom shaped his competitive approach and style on court.
His father’s influence as a coach provided a steady support system and helped him navigate the early stages of competitive junior tennis. This combination of family guidance, disciplined training, and a clear set of role models set the stage for his transition into higher-level competition.
Path to Professional Tennis
Hijikata’s path to the professional ranks began in earnest when he moved to the United States to play college tennis for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2019 to 2021. Competing at the University of North Carolina, he developed his game against some of the strongest collegiate players in the country and sharpened the tactical awareness that would later serve him on the ATP Tour.
Even before completing his college career, he had already tasted professional-level competition. In March 2018, he made his ITF debut at the Australia F3 in Mornington, Australia, and quickly notched his first match win the following week at the Australia F4. Later that year, he partnered with Bulgaria’s Adrian Andreev to claim a silver medal in boys’ doubles at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
By 2019, Hijikata was receiving wildcards into Australian Open qualifying and capturing his first professional singles title at the M15 Fayetteville in Arkansas. He went on to collect four ITF World Tennis Tour singles titles in 2021, finishing the year ranked No. 369. These results gave him the momentum and ranking needed to leave college early and commit fully to the ATP Tour in 2022.
Rinky Hijikata Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Hijikata’s earliest professional experiences came on the ITF circuit, where he learned to handle travel, scheduling, and the mental demands of week-to-week competition. His first ITF title came at the M15 Fayetteville event in September 2019, signaling that he was ready to compete at increasingly higher levels.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, he balanced his commitments at the University of North Carolina with selective ITF appearances. He added four ITF World Tennis Tour singles titles during 2021, including his second and third titles in July of that year. By the end of 2021, he had compiled enough results to finish the season ranked No. 369 in the world, setting the stage for his full-time transition to the ATP Tour.
2022: ATP and Major Debut
Hijikata opened 2022 by qualifying for the main draw of the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 1, where he defeated world No. 98 Henri Laaksonen in the final qualifying round to register his first top-100 victory. Although he lost in the first round to eventual finalist Maxime Cressy, the appearance marked his official ATP Tour debut.
He went on to qualify for the 2022 Los Cabos Open in August, where he earned his maiden ATP main-draw win after Rodrigo Pacheco Méndez retired mid-match. He followed that breakthrough by lifting his first Challenger trophy at Playford, Australia, jumping 33 spots to world No. 159. That same stretch included his Grand Slam debut at the US Open as a wildcard, rounding out a season that pushed him to the brink of the top 200.
2023: Major Doubles Title and Singles Breakthrough
The 2023 season marked the arrival of Rinky Hijikata on the biggest stages of tennis. At the 2023 Australian Open, he defeated Yannick Hanfmann for his first Grand Slam singles win before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round. In the men’s doubles draw, partnering with Jason Kubler, he produced one of the tournament’s most remarkable runs. The all-Australian pair defeated three seeded teams, including the world No. 1 duo Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarterfinals, before overcoming Hugo Nys and Jan Zieliński in the final to claim the title.
He continued his doubles surge at the 2023 Delray Beach Open, where he reached the final partnering Reese Stalder, and added a second doubles trophy at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships with Max Purcell. These results propelled him to a career-high No. 23 in the ATP doubles rankings on 23 October 2023.
In singles, he qualified for his Masters 1000 debut at Indian Wells, reached his first ATP quarterfinal at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, and advanced to the fourth round of the 2023 US Open as a wildcard. By defeating Pavel Kotov, Márton Fucsovics, and Zhang Zhizhen at Flushing Meadows, he climbed 28 spots to world No. 82 and cracked the top 100 for the first time.
2024: First Clay Win, ATP 500 Debut, and Top 65
Hijikata opened 2024 with a quarterfinal run at the Brisbane International, taking out Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tomáš Macháč before falling to eventual champion Grigor Dimitrov. He added a fourth doubles final at the Dallas Open alongside William Blumberg, and notched his first ATP quarterfinal of the clay season at the Delray Beach Open, where he upset sixth seed Matteo Arnaldi.
His first clay-court victory came at the 2024 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships over fifth seed Christopher Eubanks, while at the Queen’s Club Championships he made his ATP 500 main-draw debut as a qualifier. There, he defeated Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Arnaldi to reach his second grass-court quarterfinal of the year.
At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, he partnered fellow Australian John Peers in doubles and helped eliminate Jamie Murray and Andy Murray in the opening round, the latter’s final Wimbledon appearance. By qualifying at the National Bank Open in Montreal and reaching his fourth ATP quarterfinal of the season at the Winston-Salem Open, he climbed to a career-high No. 62 in singles on 26 August 2024.
2025: Wimbledon Doubles Finalist
At the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Hijikata reached the men’s doubles final as part of an alternate pairing with David Pel. The pair stunned third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz before toppling world No. 1 duo Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić. Their run ended in the championship match against fifth seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, but the performance reaffirmed his status among the tour’s elite doubles players.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Hijikata’s most memorable achievements are his 2023 Australian Open doubles title with Kubler, his fourth-round run at the 2023 US Open, and his 2025 Wimbledon doubles final. He also earned back-to-back Newcombe Medals for Male Junior Athlete of the Year in 2018 and 2019, honors that recognized his dominance in Australian junior tennis.
Rinky Hijikata Career Wins
Rinky Hijikata’s career victories span ITF, Challenger, and ATP-level events. His most prestigious title remains the 2023 Australian Open men’s doubles crown, won alongside Jason Kubler. He has also lifted ATP doubles trophies at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships with Max Purcell and captured Challenger and ITF singles titles throughout his early career.
Major and ATP-Level Highlights
In singles, Hijikata has reached four ATP quarterfinals, four Challenger finals, and ten ITF singles finals, claiming seven ITF singles titles along the way. His first Challenger title came at Playford in 2022, making him the youngest Australian Challenger champion since Alexei Popyrin in 2018. His fourth-round appearance at the 2023 US Open remains his deepest singles run at a Grand Slam.
Doubles Highlights
In doubles, Hijikata has reached five ATP finals, winning two, and ten Challenger finals, winning six. His 2023 Australian Open victory with Kubler stands as the crown jewel of his doubles résumé, complemented by his 2025 Wimbledon doubles final appearance with David Pel.
Rinky Hijikata Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rinky Hijikata was raised in Sydney by Japanese immigrant parents, with his father working as a tennis coach. The family’s strong connection to the sport shaped his introduction to tennis at age three or four and provided constant coaching support during his formative years.
Personal Life
Hijikata is known publicly by his nickname Rinky, a shortened form of his given name. He is not publicly known to be married and has no publicly confirmed spouse or children. He continues to represent Australia on the ATP Tour and remains closely connected to his family and his tennis roots in Sydney.
2025 Season Performance
Hijikata’s 2025 campaign has been highlighted by his run to the Wimbledon doubles final with David Pel, a result that reinforced his standing among the tour’s top doubles competitors. The pairing defeated third seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz and top seeds Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić before losing to fifth seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in the championship match.
That deep Grand Slam showing has carried momentum into the North American hard-court swing and the broader second half of the season. With his doubles ranking consistently inside the world’s elite and his singles ranking near his career high of No. 62, Hijikata enters the closing stretch of 2025 with opportunities to add new titles and improve his standing further.
Looking ahead, he remains a central figure in Australia’s deep doubles tradition, having followed in the footsteps of Lleyton Hewitt and Jason Kubler as recent Australian Grand Slam doubles champions. His combination of grass-court savvy, doubles instincts, and improving singles game positions him well for continued success at the ATP level.