Hijikata, Jones Crowned Playford Tennis International 2025 Winners
PLAYFORD, SOUTH AUSTRALIA – The 2025 City of Playford Tennis International concluded on Sunday with a showcase of Australian tennis dominance, as local favorites Rinky Hijikata and teen sensation Emerson Jones claimed the singles titles at the Playford Tennis Centre.
In a thrilling conclusion to the tournament, which ran from November 24 to 30, 2025, Rinky Hijikata cemented his legacy at this event by securing his third City of Playford title. The 24-year-old, who previously lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2024, defeated compatriot Dane Sweeny in a gritty three-set battle.
Hijikata stormed out of the blocks, dominating the opening set with a flawless 6–0 “bagel.” However, Sweeny, ranked 209th, showed tremendous resilience in the second, forcing a tiebreak that he eventually clinched 7–6(10–8) to level the match. Hijikata regrouped in the decider, breaking Sweeny’s resistance to close out the victory 6–4. The win reaffirms Hijikata’s affinity for the Playford hard courts and provides a crucial boost to his ranking as he looks ahead to the Australian Summer of Tennis.
On the women’s side, the spotlight shone brightly on 17-year-old prodigy Emerson Jones. The former junior world number one continued her rapid ascent in the professional ranks by upsetting the defending champion, Maddison Inglis. In a composed display that belied her years, Jones defeated the experienced Inglis in straight sets, 6–4, 6–4.
For Inglis, the loss in the singles final ended her bid to defend the crown she won in 2024 against Himeno Sakatsume. However, the Western Australian did not leave empty-handed. Finding redemption on the doubles court, Inglis partnered with Talia Gibson to claim the women’s doubles title. The Australian duo proved too strong for the South Korean pairing of Back Da-yeon and Lee Eun-hye, cruising to a dominant 6–2, 6–0 victory.
The men’s doubles final provided perhaps the most dramatic finish of the day. The all-Australian team of Jake Delaney and Li Tu edged out the international duo of Anirudh Chandrasekar (India) and Reese Stalder (USA). After dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Delaney and Tu fought back to take the second and held their nerve in the match tiebreak, triumphing 6–7(5–7), 7–5, [10–8].
The 2025 edition of the tournament, part of both the ATP Challenger Tour and the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, once again highlighted the depth of Australian tennis talent, with home-grown players featuring in all four championship matches.
