David Pel Achieves Dream Wimbledon Doubles Finals with Rinky Hijikata

LONDON, England — Dutch tennis player David Pel is living his dream at Wimbledon. The 34-year-old doubles specialist is set to compete in Thursday’s finals with his Australian partner Rinky Hijikata, which has taken him by surprise. “It’s unreal what has happened over the past week and a half,” Pel shared in an interview with Langs de Lijn en Omstreken.

The duo has secured four victories on the prestigious grass courts of Wimbledon. Pel noted, “This comes pretty much out of nowhere because I didn’t expect to get this far. We are just relaxed, playing freely, and enjoying every moment.”

Hijikata, who prefers singles, previously found success as a doubles player, winning the doubles title at the Australian Open in 2023. He reached out to Pel three weeks ago via WhatsApp to form a team for Wimbledon. The partnership gave Pel a better chance of reaching the main draw since Hijikata ranks higher than Pel’s usual partner, Jakub Paul.

However, this decision didn’t sit well with Paul, who immediately terminated their partnership. Pel expressed understanding of his ex-partner’s feelings, saying, “I wouldn’t have liked it the other way around either, but that’s how it goes. I ultimately chose for myself but also for the team.”

The split between Pel and Paul is not uncommon in the world of doubles tennis, where partner changes happen frequently throughout the season. Pel will need to find a new regular partner after Wimbledon, as Hijikata focuses on singles. Pel, who has earned nearly €100,000 from reaching the semifinals, is optimistic about attracting new partners due to his rising ranking.

Pel and Hijikata face Croatia’s Mate Pavic and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo, who are the top seeds in the Wimbledon doubles competition. In related news, another Dutch doubles player, Sem Verbeek, is also performing well at Wimbledon with his Czech partner Katerina Siniakova, having reached the mixed doubles finals.

If victorious, Verbeek will become the first Dutch player to win a Grand Slam title in mixed doubles since Wesley Koolhof at the 2022 Roland Garros. Verbeek, 31, praised Siniakova’s experience—she holds ten Grand Slam titles in doubles and is the reigning Olympic champion in mixed doubles. “If we enjoy it, our best tennis will come out,” Verbeek said ahead of the final against Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani. “If we can’t enjoy a final, then we need to take a good look in the mirror. We are ready.”