_(42077294635).jpg) Nishikori at the2018 French Open | |||||||||||||||
| Native name | 錦織 圭 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Japan | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1989-12-29)29 December 1989 (age 36) Matsue, Shimane, Japan | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2007 | ||||||||||||||
| Prize money | US$26,000,435[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Official website | keinishikori.com | ||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||
| Career record | 451–231[a] | ||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (2 March 2015)[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 240 (19 January 2026)[4] | ||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | QF (2012,2015,2016,2019) | ||||||||||||||
| French Open | QF (2015,2017,2019) | ||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | QF (2018,2019) | ||||||||||||||
| US Open | F (2014) | ||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | SF (2014,2016) | ||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | Bronze (2016) | ||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||
| Career record | 27–36 | ||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 167 (19 March 2012) | ||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||
| French Open | 2R (2011) | ||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 2R (2011) | ||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | QF (2021) | ||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | QF (2014) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
| Last updated on: 1 December 2025. | |||||||||||||||
Kei Nishikori (錦織 圭,Nishikori Kei;[ɲiɕi̥koꜜɾikeꜜː]; born 29 December 1989) is a Japanese professionaltennis player. He is the only Japanese man in theOpen Era to have beenranked in the top five in singles, reaching his career-high ranking of world No. 4 in March 2015, and the second man in history to do so afterJiro Sato. Nishikori has won twelve titles on theATP Tour and was runner-up at the2014 US Open,[5] making him the only man representing an Asian country to contest amajor singles final.[b] He also became the first man from Asia to qualify for theATP Finals, reaching the semifinals in 2014 and 2016.[6]
In addition, Nishikori defeatedRafael Nadal to win the bronze medal insingles at the2016 Summer Olympics, bringing Japan its first Olympic tennis medal in 96 years.[7] He holds one of the highest percentages of deciding-set wins in the Open Era and has the third-highest win percentage in matches extending to five sets, with a record of29–8 and a win percentage of 78.4%.[8][9][10]
Nishikori was born inMatsue inShimane Prefecture, Japan. His father, Kiyoshi, is an engineer, and his mother, Eri, is a piano teacher. He has an older sister, Reina, who graduated from college and works in Tokyo.[11] He began playing tennis at the age of five. He first won the All Japan Tennis Championships for Kids in 2001, and graduated from Aomori-Yamada High School. Nishikori moved to Bradenton, Florida to join theIMG Academy in 2004 at 14 years of age.[12] Nishikori was previously coached byBrad Gilbert, Dante Bottini,Michael Chang andThomas Johansson.[13]
Nishikori married his long-term girlfriend Mai Yamauchi in December 2020. His pastimes includesoccer, golf,reading, and listening to music.[citation needed]
Nishikori played his first junior match in April 2002 at the age of 13 at a grade 1 tournament in Japan. He won the 2004 title at the Riad 21 Tournament inRabat, Morocco, and was a boys' singles quarter-finalist at the2006 Junior French Open; he partneringEmiliano Massa to win theboys' doubles title at that tournament.[14] Nishikori won the 2007 Luxilon Cup held at the2007 Sony Ericsson Open by defeatingMichael McClune.
As a junior, he compiled a 73–37 win–loss record in singles and 53–31 in doubles, achieving a combined ranking of No. 7 in the world in July 2006.[15]
Junior Grand Slam results – Singles:
Australian Open: QF (2006)
French Open: QF (2006)
Wimbledon: 1R (2005)
US Open: 3R (2005)
Junior Grand Slam results – Doubles:
Australian Open: SF (2006)
French Open:W (2006)
Wimbledon: A (-)
US Open: 1R (2005)
Nishikori began the year in March with a wildcard entry to theKyoto Challenger tournament inKyoto, Japan, where he lost to AustralianRobert Smeets in the round of 32 and just failed to qualify for the doubles tournament.[16] In May, Nishikori qualified for theITF Futures event inMazatlán, Mexico, where he was victorious in the men's singles.
A finalist in twoUSTA Pro Circuit events, Nishikori lost toDonald Young inLittle Rock, Arkansas andAlex Bogomolov Jr. inCarson, California. He partnered with Young to win the doubles title at Little Rock. At the Sony Ericsson Open inMiami, Nishikori paired with triple French Open championGustavo Kuerten, but the two were defeated in the first round. Nishikori served as a hitting partner forRoger Federer atWimbledon.
After hisATP main draw debut in Los Angeles, Nishikori qualified for theIndianapolis Tennis Championships in July. He beatAlejandro Falla in the first round to record his first ATP main-draw win. He followed that up with a three-set win overMichael Berrer, the eliminator of seventh seedRobby Ginepri, to advance to his first ATP quarterfinal. Although he lost toDmitry Tursunov in two sets, Nishikori became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals atIndianapolis sinceBoris Becker in 1985.
Later that month, Nishikori headed to Washington, D.C. for his third career ATP event. He defeatedTeymuraz Gabashvili in the first round before falling toJulien Benneteau in the second. He qualified for theChina Open inBeijing, losing in the first round toIvan Ljubičić. In October, Nishikori received a wildcard entry to theAIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, where he lost in the first round toZack Fleishman. He participated in the tournament's draw ceremony and was honored with an award from the Tokyo Sports Writers Club. Nishikori finished the year representing Japan at the AsianHopman Cup competition inBangkok,Thailand.
Nishikori started the year by reaching the semifinals of the Miami challenger tournament. He then entered theDelray Beach tournament as a qualifier ranked world No. 244. He gained entrance to the main draw by defeatingNicolás Todero andAlex Bogomolov Jr. In the first round, he defeatedFlorian Mayer due to a retirement in the second set. In the second round, Nishikori defeatedAmer Delić, another qualifier. In the quarterfinals, he won againstBobby Reynolds. In the semifinals, he upsetSam Querrey. In the final, Nishikori upset top seedJames Blake in three sets to become the first Japanese man in nearly 16 years to win an ATP event.[17]
Nishikori lost in the first round of theMiami Masters to the Spanish playerAlbert Montañés. He faced James Blake again, this time at the River Oaks International tournament in Houston, Texas in the first round, but Kei lost in two sets. He went out in the third round of the 2008Queen's Club Championships againstRafael Nadal in just over two hours. Facing the world No. 2, Nishikori played well in the match and showed promise. His firstGrand Slam appearance at the2008 Wimbledon Championships on 23 June 2008 ended in a first-round forfeiture to French playerMarc Gicquel. Suffering from an abdominal muscle strain, Nishikori retired after the second set. In August, he entered theBeijing Olympics on a wildcard.[18] There, he lost in the first round toRainer Schüttler of Germany.
Nishikori made his debut at theUS Open, defeating 29th seededJuan Mónaco in the first round. He cruised to the third round, after downing CroatianRoko Karanušić. On 30 August 2008, he became the first Japanese player to reach the round of 16 at the US Open in 71 years, when he beat fourth seedDavid Ferrer in five sets in what was considered one of the tournament's major upsets.[19] He lost his chance, however, to compete in the quarterfinals when he was beaten by 17th seedJuan Martín del Potro in straight sets.
In theJapan Open Tennis Championships, he made it to the round of 16, before losing to FrenchmanRichard Gasquet.
Nishikori was given a wildcard for theStockholm Open, where he made it to his second ATP level semifinal of the year, despite playing with a knee injury. He received a walkover in his quarterfinal match againstMario Ančić, who had to withdraw due to illness. In the semifinals, he was beaten by fourth seedRobin Söderling.
Nishikori made a disappointing start to the season, losing toJürgen Melzer in the first round of the Australian Open. On 25 March, Nishikori was named 2008ATP Newcomer of the Year and became the first Asian player to win the award.[20] He withdrew from the French Open,Wimbledon, and theUS Open because of an injured right elbow.
Nishikori made his comeback after his injury of the previous year. After receiving a wildcard at Delray Beach, he was beaten in the first round byBenjamin Becker. Kei returned to the Challenger tour later in April with great success, reaching quarterfinals at both Baton Rouge and Tallahassee events, followed by a victory at the Savannah Challenger overRyan Sweeting in the final. On 15 May 2010, he won the Sarasota open by defeatingBrian Dabul, in three sets.
Nishikori played in his first French Open. He rebounded from two sets down to defeatSantiago Giraldo ofColombia in the first round but he lost his second match againstNovak Djokovic. He lost toRichard Gasquet in the first round of the2010 Aegon Championships. At Wimbledon, he played second seedRafael Nadal in the first round and lost in straight sets.
At the US Open, the Japanese No. 1 metMarin Čilić in the second round. Nishikori ousted the 11th seed in five sets to advance to the third round, his best Grand Slam tournament showing in 2010.
Nishikori opened the season inChennai, where he upset two-time defending championMarin Čilić in the first round, before falling in the quarterfinals toJanko Tipsarević.
In the2011 Australian Open, Nishikori reached the third round, defeatingFabio Fognini andFlorian Mayer along the way. His run was ended in the third round by ninth seedFernando Verdasco. After the third-round appearance in Melbourne, his ranking rose to No. 70.
At the first twoATP Masters Series events of the year, Nishikori suffered a first-round loss atIndian Wells and a second-round loss inMiami. Nishikori then reached his second final at the2011 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. He was defeated by American wildcardRyan Sweeting.
AtRoland Garros, Nishikori lost in the second round toSergiy Stakhovsky. He facedLleyton Hewitt in the first round atWimbledon, but lost in four sets. Nishikori then retired in his first-round match againstFlavio Cipolla at theUS Open.
At theShanghai Masters, Nishikori reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal. He defeatedRobin Haase, fourth seedJo-Wilfried Tsonga, andSantiago Giraldo, in the first three rounds. In the quarterfinals, Nishikori upset 12th-seededAlexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets. He lost to No. 2Andy Murray in his first Masters 1000 semifinal. He reached a career-high of world No. 30, breaking the previous Japanese mark of No. 46, set byShuzo Matsuoka in July 1992.[21]
In the2011 Swiss Indoors Basel tournament, Nishikori defeated an ailing world No. 1Novak Djokovic to reach the final, coming back from a 4–5, 0–30 deficit in the second set. The win was only Djokovic's fourth loss of the season, second loss in a completed match, and first loss of a completed match on a non-clay surface.[22] Nishikori was defeated in the final byRoger Federer. On the heels of the victory, Nishikori was granted special exemption into the2011 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, and achieved a ranking of world No. 24.
Nishikori started the season at theBrisbane International, where he lost in the second round toMarcos Baghdatis. At the2012 Australian Open, Nishikori came back from a set down to defeat sixth seedJo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he was then defeated by fourth seedAndy Murray. Nishikori was the first Japanese male player to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 80 years.[23]
Nishikori made it to the quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships after beating BelgianOlivier Rochus in three sets.[24]
In theSummer Olympics, Nishikori lost to Argentina'sJuan Martín del Potro in the quarterfinals.[25] He andGo Soeda lost in the first round of the men's doubles.[26]
In Toronto, he lost his first match (after a first-round bye) toSam Querrey. He did better in Cincinnati, making it to the third round before being defeated byStan Wawrinka, who ended up a semifinalist in the event. Nishikori had also lost to Wawrinka in the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires in February.
On 7 October, eighth seed Nishikori won the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo against sixth seedMilos Raonic of Canada in three sets to win his first ATP 500 series title and second career ATP Tour title, lifting his world ranking from world No. 17 to a career-high of world No. 15. Nishikori's win was historic as he became the first Japanese man to win the Japan Open in its 41-year history.[27]
Nishikori started the year by playing the Brisbane International and reached the semifinals before retiring to Andy Murray because of a knee injury. Nishikori then reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before falling to fourth-seeded David Ferrer. Nishikori was bothered by a nagging knee injury throughout the match. Nishikori then won his third career title in the U.S. National Indoor Championships by defeating Feliciano López in straight sets. Seeded fifth, Nishikori finished the tournament without dropping a set in taking the winner's check, and moved up six ranking spots from No. 22 in the ATP rankings to No. 16.
On 9 May, Nishikori defeated defending championRoger Federer at theMadrid Open in the third round, but lost toPablo Andújar in the quarters.
In the first round of the 2013 US Open, Nishikori lost to a lower-ranked opponent, this time to world No. 179Dan Evans in straight sets.
Michael Chang became Kei Nishikori's coach in 2014.[28]
Nishikori made it to the fourth round in theAustralian Open, but was dismissed byRafael Nadal in straight sets. He defended his title at theU.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis, defeatingIvo Karlović in the final. He then played at theMasters 1000 event in Miami, where he was seeded 20th. Nishikori saved four match points before defeating 4th seedDavid Ferrer and advanced to the semifinals with a three-set win against 5th seedRoger Federer. Because of a left groin injury, he gave 2nd seedNovak Djokovic a walkover in the semifinals. He withdrew from Japan'sDavis Cup quarterfinal against theCzech Republic.[29] Nishikori returned to action at the end of April, in Barcelona, winning the final againstSantiago Giraldo of Colombia in two sets.
On 10 May, Nishikori made history by reaching the final ofMadrid Open, his first Masters 1000 tournament final. Nishikori beatDavid Ferrer in three sets in the semifinal, and faced world No. 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final. Nishikori won the first set and led by a break in the second, but Nishikori sustained a back injury while leading 4–2 and was forced to retire at 3–0 in the third set having lost seven games in a row.[30] The result saw him achieve a career-high #9 in ATP singles ranking.[31] Nishikori lost in the first round of the French Open toMartin Kližan in three sets.
Nishikori bounced back from the French Open first round loss in the grass court season by reaching the semifinals of the2014 Gerry Weber Open before losing toRoger Federer in straight sets. Nishikori participated in theWimbledon Championships and made it to the fourth round after surviving a tight 5-setter against clay-court specialistSimone Bolelli, but eventually lost in the fourth round toMilos Raonic, despite winning the opening set. Nishikori opened his hard-court season by participating in theCiti Open. He reached the quarterfinals only to be beaten byRichard Gasquet for the fifth time in his career in straight sets.
Nishikori reached his first Grand Slam final at the2014 US Open. He beatWayne Odesnik,Pablo Andújar,Leonardo Mayer and then world No. 6Milos Raonic in a marathon five-set match that lasted until 2:26 am, tying the record for late finishes at the US Open en route to the quarterfinals.[32] In the quarterfinals, he scored a rare upset over Australian Open championStan Wawrinka, who had thus far dominated their meetings to ensure that he would regain a top ten ranking. He also became the first Japanese man in 81 years to reach the semifinals at a Major sinceJiro Sato in1933 French Championships (now French Open).[33] Nishikori then defeated world No. 1Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to become the first Asian man ever to reach a Grand Slam tournament final. (As reference, an American male tennis player of Asian descentMichael Chang reached the final of Grand Slam to winFrench Open at the youngest age of Grand Slam history, and the finalist to be Runner up in bothUS Open andAustralian Open.)[34] In the final, Nishikori lost toMarin Čilić. Nishikori's run at the US Open saw his singles ranking improve to world No.8.
Nishikori began the Asian Swing by entering the Malaysian Open as first seed and won for a third season title, beatingJulien Benneteau in two sets. Nishikori then went on to participate in the Rakuten Japan Open and won the title for the second time defeatingMilos Raonic in the final. However, in the Shanghai Rolex Masters, he later suffered a first round loss toJack Sock in straight sets. Nishikori then played in the BNP Paribas Masters and reached the semifinals, defeatingTommy Robredo,Jo-Wilfried Tsonga andDavid Ferrer, each in three sets. However, he was ousted byNovak Djokovic in straight sets. This semifinal appearance guaranteed his berth for hisATP World Tour Finals debut.[35]
In his first Year-EndATP Finals, Nishikori defeatedAndy Murray andDavid Ferrer, but was defeated byRoger Federer in straight sets. With this result, he progressed through to the semifinals and facedNovak Djokovic, losing in three sets, thus ending the year at a career high world No. 5.
Nishikori began the 2015 season by participating in the2015 Brisbane International and reached the semifinals before being beaten byMilos Raonic in three tight-set tiebreaks. He reached the2015 Brisbane International doubles finals with his partnerAlexandr Dolgopolov but lost in straight sets. Nishikori equalled his best record yet in theAustralian Open by reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in his career, dropping only two sets along the way, but he was beaten in straight sets by defending championStan Wawrinka. In February, Nishikori won his eighth singles title and became the first ever player to win theMemphis Open three times in a row, beatingKevin Anderson in straight sets in the final.
He next participated in the2015 Abierto Mexicano Telcel and reached the final, losing only a set toKevin Anderson in the semifinals. By reaching the final, he earned enough ATP ranking points to move into a new career high world ranking of No. 4.[36] However, he lost toDavid Ferrer in straight sets in the final. During the March Masters, he reached the fourth round of the2015 BNP Paribas Open for the first time in seven appearances but was upset byFeliciano López in straight sets in the fourth round. In the2015 Miami Open, he defeatedMikhail Youzhny,Viktor Troicki andDavid Goffin all in straight sets losing only a total of 10 games to reach the quarterfinals. However, he was upset by an in-formJohn Isner in straight sets.
Nishikori began his clay-court season at the2015 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell where he reached the final after beatingTeymuraz Gabashvili,Santiago Giraldo,Roberto Bautista Agut andMartin Kližan. He successfully defended his title by beatingPablo Andújar in the final in two sets to win his ninth career title on the tour. At the2015 Mutua Madrid Open, Nishikori was granted a first-round bye and proceeded by defeatingDavid Goffin in three tough-sets in the second round. He reached the semifinals after beatingRoberto Bautista Agut andDavid Ferrer in straight sets respectively. He then lost toAndy Murray in the semifinals, and his ranking dropped to sixth as a result of failing to defend his points from the final in 2014.
Nishikori was given a tough draw at the 2015Italian Open but managed to reach the quarterfinal after beatingJiří Veselý andViktor Troicki, both in straight sets. He faced world No. 1Novak Djokovic in the QF and lost in three sets. Nishikori opened his French Open campaign by defeating bothPaul-Henri Mathieu andThomaz Bellucci in straight sets to advance to the third round. He advanced to the 4R for the second time in his career after his third round opponent,Benjamin Becker, withdrew due to a right shoulder injury. Nishikori became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open in 82 years by beatingTeymuraz Gabashvili.[37] He then played home favoriteJo-Wilfried Tsonga, but eventually lost in five set.
Nishikori opened his grass-court season by participating in theHalle Open where he reached the semifinals, only to retire in his match againstAndreas Seppi down 1–4 in the first set due to his calf injury which he attained in his quarterfinal match. Nishikori decided to play Wimbledon, and he reached the second round by beatingSimone Bolelli in five sets for the second straight year but then withdrew from his second round match againstSantiago Giraldo, due to his calf injury acting on him again during his first round match.[38]
Nishikori opened his hard-court season by competing at the2015 Citi Open defeatingJames Duckworth,Leonardo Mayer,Sam Groth, andMarin Čilić en route to the final where he beatJohn Isner in three tight sets to capture his third title of the year and 10th title overall. At the2015 Rogers Cup, he reached the semifinals without losing a set and defeatedRafael Nadal for the first time in eight tries in the quarterfinals. He lost to Andy Murray in the semifinals in straight sets. He withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters citing fatigue and hip injury, which affected his semifinal match against Murray the previous week. He lost in the first round of the2015 US Open toBenoît Paire.
Nishikori started the Asian Fall by participating in his hometown tournament,Rakuten Japan Open, where he reached the semifinals, including victories overBorna Ćorić,Sam Querrey andMarin Čilić. He was upset in his semifinal match by unseeded Benoît Paire. He reached third rounds of theShanghai Rolex Masters before losing toKevin Anderson. He then played in theBNP Paribas Masters. However, he retired in the third round match againstRichard Gasquet due to an abdominal injury.[39]
Nishikori qualified for theATP World Tour Finals for the second straight year in a row, clinching eighth place.[40] He defeatedTomáš Berdych, but lost toNovak Djokovic andRoger Federer. He failed to qualify for the semifinals, finishing in third place in his group.
Nishikori began the season ranked No. 8. In January, he entered theBrisbane International as the No. 2 seed where he advanced to the quarterfinals with a bye and a straight sets win overMikhail Kukushkin, but was eventually upset by seventh seedBernard Tomic in three sets. At theAustralian Open, Nishikori was seeded seventh. He began with victories overPhilipp Kohlschreiber,Austin Krajicek andGuillermo García López before beating ninth-seededJo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach his third Australian Open quarterfinal, where he lost toNovak Djokovic. Nishikori next competed at theMemphis Open where he was seeded first and was the three-time defending champion. Nishikori received a bye into the second round and advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set. In the semifinals, Nishikori beatSam Querrey in three sets and later beat young AmericanTaylor Fritz in straight sets to win his fourth straight Memphis title and his 11th ATP title overall. He joinedJimmy Connors as the only four-time winners of the event.[41]
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During the March Masters, Nishikori reached the quarterfinals in theIndian Wells Masters for the first time in his career after defeatingMikhail Kukushkin,Steve Johnson in straight sets and saving a match point against ninth seedJohn Isner in Nishikori's serve in the third set. He lost to fourth seedRafael Nadal in straight sets. Nishikori improved his feat by reaching the quarterfinal again in theMiami Open by beatingPierre-Hugues Herbert,Alexandr Dolgopolov andRoberto Bautista Agut in straight sets. He then reached the semifinals of the tournament for the second time in his career after saving five match points and beatingGaël Monfils in a comeback three-set match. He then reached his second final in a Masters 1000 after dismantlingNick Kyrgios in straight sets.[42] He lost to then world No. 1Novak Djokovic in the final in straight sets.
For the fifth consecutive year, Nishikori did not play in Monte Carlo and instead turned his focus to defending hisBarcelona Open Banc Sabadell title. He reached the final without losing a set, but lost in straight sets to resurgent nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the final. He followed his good run by reaching the semifinals in theMutua Madrid Open, beatingFabio Fognini,Richard Gasquet for the first time in seven meetings and rising teenage starNick Kyrgios. He lost in the semifinal to Novak Djokovic in straight sets despite a close second set. Nishikori then replicated his Madrid run by reaching the semifinals of theItalian Open for the first time after beatingViktor Troicki in the opener in three sets, followed by wins over Richard Gasquet andDominic Thiem in straight sets. He lost in the semifinal against world Novak Djokovic in a marathon three hours three-setter despite winning the first set 6–2 and managed to pull off a tiebreak in the third set. He later participated at theFrench Open but lost to an in-form Gasquet in the fourth round in four sets. Nishikori began his grass season at theHalle Open, but retired in the second round due to a hip injury. His next tournament was at Wimbledon, where he retired in the fourth round againstMarin Čilić, once again due to injury.
With Murray, Federer and Nadal absent, Nishikori was seeded third for theRogers Cup Masters in Toronto. After beatingGrigor Dimitrov andStan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively, Nishikori then lost to Djokovic in straight sets in the finals, going 0–5 so far in the season against the Serb. Nishikori then participated in the2016 Summer Olympics, where he reached the semis before being defeated by World No. 2Andy Murray in straight sets. However, he later acquired the bronze medal after he defeated Rafael Nadal 6–2, 6–7 (1), 6–3, becoming the first Japanese man to win an Olympic tennis medal sinceIchiya Kumagae in the1920 Summer Olympics.[7]
Nishikori nearly replicated his 2014 US Open run by reaching the semifinals of theUS Open, defeatingBenjamin Becker,Karen Khachanov andNicolas Mahut respectively in four sets, followed by a straight sets fourth-round win againstIvo Karlović, and a five-set victory over world No. 2Andy Murray in the quarterfinals that lasted nearly four hours; this was arguably his biggest victory since the 2014 US Open. After leading by a set and a break against eventual championStan Wawrinka in the semifinals, a clearly fatigued Nishikori lost in four sets, hence ending his U.S. hardcourt season with a finals and semifinals run in the Canadian Open and theUS Open respectively.
After an indifferent Asian swing season where he retired in his home tournament, theRakuten Japan Open, Nishikori returned to action again in Basel, where he was the No. 3 seed. He enjoyed a successful tournament there, but lost to Marin Čilić in the finals.
Nishikori next represented Japan in theDavis Cup Play-Off against Ukraine and played in the doubles rubber alongsideYūichi Sugita, winning the match in straight sets, giving Japan an unassailable 3–0 lead to promote his country back into the 2017 Davis Cup World Group.
Nishikori made his third successive appearance at the year-end championships after becoming the fifth player to qualify for the2016 ATP World Tour Finals.[43] He won his first match, upsetting third seed,Stan Wawrinka in straight sets 6–2, 6–3 before losing his other tworound-robin matches toAndy Murray and Marin Čilić respectively, both in three sets. Having done enough to nevertheless make the semifinals however, he was then defeated by a resurgentNovak Djokovic in straight sets, ending his season with a singles ranking of world No. 5 for both the second time in his career and in the past three years as well.
Nishikori began the year by reaching the finals ofBrisbane, beating Wawrinka along the way, before falling to championGrigor Dimitrov. In theAustralian Open, after defeatingAndrey Kuznetsov in five sets in the first round, Kei beat his next two opponents in straight sets. His run ended in another five-set match to eventual championRoger Federer.[44]
Nishikori withdrew from theUS Open inCincinnati with a right wrist problem and subsequent scans revealed a tear in one of thetendons.[45] Soon after that, he announced that he would miss the rest of the season.[46] As a result of his extended absence, following the conclusion ofParis he fell to World No.22, his lowest ranking since January 2012 and his first time out of the top 20 in the rankings since March 2014.
Nishikori returned after a 5-month injury layoff and started his 2018 season by playing at the American challenger tour events.[47] InNewport Beach he lost in the first round against American qualifierDennis Novikov.[48] In the following week, Novikov and Nishikori met again in the first round. This time, Nishikori won in straight sets. Kei Nishikori went on to win his next four matches en route to win his sixth ATP Challenger career titles inDallas, by defeatingMackenzie McDonald in the final.
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Nishikori made his return to the ATP Tour competition (since August 2017 Montreal) at the inaugural ATP 250 Tournament inNew York. Nishikori made a back-to-back winning return in New York by defeatingNoah Rubin andEvgeny Donskoy in the first and second round respectively. He defeatedRadu Albot in the quarterfinals in three sets, before losing toKevin Anderson in the semifinal. Kei Nishikori was unseeded at the2018 Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco and lost againstDenis Shapovalov in the first round.
In a bid to regain match fitness, Nishikori entered theMonte-Carlo Masters for the first time since 2012, having never progressed past the third round at the tournament before. Unseeded for the tournament, he beatTomáš Berdych,Daniil Medvedev,Andreas Seppi,Marin Čilić, andAlexander Zverev to reach his 4th career Masters 1000 finals, before losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the finals. He thus became the active player with the most Masters 1000 finals without a title. At the2018 Italian Open, he advanced pastFeliciano López, third seedGrigor Dimitrov, andPhilipp Kohlschreiber before losing to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals in three sets. At the2018 French Open, Nishikori was seeded 19th. He defeatedMaxime Janvier,Benoît Paire, andGilles Simon before falling to seventh seedDominic Thiem in the fourth round.
In the lead up to Wimbledon, Nishikori lost toKaren Khachanov in the 2nd round at theHalle Open. Entering Wimbledon with continued injury woes, expectations were low for Nishikori to make a deep run. He beatChristian Harrison andBernard Tomic before upsettingNick Kyrgios in the 3rd round. In the 4th round, despite facing some elbow pain, Nishikori came from a set down to beatErnests Gulbis, reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time. Thus, Nishikori had succeeded in reaching the quarterfinals of every grand slam event. In the quarterfinals, he lost to eventual championNovak Djokovic in four sets.
At theUS Open, Nishikori was seeded 21st. He defeatedMaximilian Marterer in straight sets in the first round, facingGaël Monfils in the second. Monfils was forced to retire in the second set after sustaining a wrist injury during the match. Nishikori then defeated 13th seedDiego Schwartzman andPhilipp Kohlschreiber to reach his third quarterfinal at the US Open. There, he facedMarin Čilić in a rematch of the2014 final. He dropped the first set 2–6, but pulled out a close five-set victory, breaking Čilić in the final game of the fifth set to win 6–4. He advanced to the semifinals, losing toNovak Djokovic in straight sets, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2.
Nishikori was the top seed at theMoselle Open. He defeatedPeter Gojowczyk andNikoloz Basilashvili before being upset by qualifierMatthias Bachinger in the semifinals in three sets. He then participated in theJapan Open seeded third, defeating compatriotYūichi Sugita in the first round,Benoît Paire in the second, fifth seedStefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals, and eighth seedRichard Gasquet in the semifinals. In the final, he was upset by unseededDaniil Medvedev.
At theShanghai Masters, Nishikori was seeded eighth, defeatingWu Yibing andSam Querrey to reach the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by top seed and defending championRoger Federer. At theVienna Open, Nishikori was seeded fifth. He defeatedFrances Tiafoe,Karen Khachanov, top seedDominic Thiem, andMikhail Kukushkin to reach his third final of the year, where he was defeated by second seedKevin Anderson.
At theParis Masters, Nishikori was seeded tenth. He defeatedAdrian Mannarino before facingKevin Anderson in the third round, this time defeating him in straight sets. He was then defeated by third seedRoger Federer in the quarterfinals. However, by reaching this stage of the tournament, he accrued enough points to secure a spot in theATP Finals.
At theATP Finals, Nishikori was seeded seventh. He was drawn in GroupLleyton Hewitt and faced second seedRoger Federer in his first match, defeating him in straight sets. This was Nishikori's first victory over Federer since 2014 and ended a six-match losing streak against him. He was eliminated in the group stage after losing his next two matches againstKevin Anderson andDominic Thiem. He ended the season ranked World No. 9.
Nishikori started his 2019 season at theBrisbane International, where he was seeded second. He defeatedDenis Kudla, sixth seedGrigor Dimitrov, andJérémy Chardy to reach the final, where he defeated fourth seedDaniil Medvedev in three sets to win the title. This was his first tournament victory since February 2016 and broke his streak of nine consecutive final losses.
At theAustralian Open, Nishikori was seeded eighth. In the first round, he faced qualifierKamil Majchrzak, who was making his Grand Slam main draw debut. Majchrzak took the first two sets in just 90 minutes, before suffering from cramps. Nishikori won 15 of the next 17 games, before Majchrzak retired down 3 games to none in the fifth set. In the second round, he facedIvo Karlović, against whom he took the first two sets before dropping the third and fourth. The fifth set proceeded to a tiebreak, which Nishikori won 10–7. In the fourth round, he faced 23rd seedPablo Carreño Busta. He dropped the first two sets before staging a major comeback, winning the third and fourth and leading by a break in the fifth before failing to serve out the match. Nishikori narrowly forced a tiebreak, trailing until a crucial point at 8–5, in which Busta contested an incorrect late call. The umpire awarded the point to Nishikori, who proceeded to win the tiebreak 10–8. He thus advanced to his fourth Australian Open quarterfinal, where he retired in the second set againstNovak Djokovic.
AtRotterdam, Nishikori was the top seed. He defeatedPierre-Hugues Herbert,Ernests Gulbis andMárton Fucsovics before he lost in the semifinals toStan Wawrinka. AtDubai, he entered as first seed, defeatingBenoît Paire in the first round before being upset byHubert Hurkacz. AtIndian Wells, he was the sixth seed in the singles draw, defeatingAdrian Mannarino before losing again toHubert Hurkacz. He also entered the doubles draw, teaming withMáximo González. They lost toRaven Klaasen andMichael Venus in the first round. At theMiami Open, seeded fifth, he lost his first match toDušan Lajović.
At theMonte-Carlo Masters, Nishikori was defending an appearance in the final, but lost toPierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round. AtBarcelona, he entered seeded fourth, defeatingTaylor Fritz,Félix Auger-Aliassime andRoberto Carballés Baena, being defeated byDaniil Medvedev in the semifinals. At theMadrid Masters, he was seeded sixth. He defeatedHugo Dellien before losing toStan Wawrinka in the third round. AtRome, he entered as sixth seed, defeatingTaylor Fritz andJan-Lennard Struff before losing toDiego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals.
At theFrench Open, Nishikori was the seventh seed. He defeatedQuentin Halys andJo-Wilfried Tsonga before defeatingLaslo Djere andBenoît Paire in tight five-set matches in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. In the quarterfinals, he was defeated in straight sets by defending championRafael Nadal, who went on to defend his title.
AtWimbledon, Nishikori was seeded eighth. He reached the fourth round without dropping a set, defeatingThiago Monteiro,Cameron Norrie, andSteve Johnson. He dropped a set againstMikhail Kukushkin in the fourth round, but won the match in four, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year. He was defeated in four sets byRoger Federer.
He reached the third round at the2019 US Open.
He returned to the Major level, a year later in September 2020, following the COVID season break at the2020 French Open where he won his first round match.
Nishikori started his 2021 season playing in the2021 ATP Cup, losing both of his singles matches toDaniil Medvedev andDiego Schwartzman. At theAustralian Open, Nishikori lost in the first round toPablo Carreño Busta in straight sets.
Nishikori made his first quarterfinal sinceWimbledon 2019 in2021 Rotterdam, after beating 7th seedFélix Auger-Aliassime andAlex de Minaur. He lost toBorna Ćorić in two tiebreak sets.He also made the quarterfinals in2021 Dubai, beatingReilly Opelka, 5th seedDavid Goffin andAljaž Bedene. He lost to eventual finalistLloyd Harris in three sets.Nishikori was seeded at an event for the first time since the2019 US Open inMiami. Seeded 28th, he once again beat Bedene, but lost in the third round in three sets toStefanos Tsitsipas.
Nishikori's clay-court swing also showed progress of his return. His first tournament was2021 Barcelona, where after beatingGuido Pella and 13th seedCristian Garín, he took a set offRafael Nadal before losing in the third round in three sets. Nishikori reached the second round inMadrid, and the third round inRome, losing both matches toAlexander Zverev. He recorded his best Grand Slam result in over a year at theFrench Open, beatingAlessandro Giannessi and 23rd seedKaren Khachanov in five sets. After his third round opponent,Henri Laaksonen retired, he progressed to the fourth round, losing once again to Zverev.
His 2021 grass court swing was much more quiet, losing inHalle toSebastian Korda and inWimbledon toJordan Thompson.
At the2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nishikori recorded his first top 10 win since 2018 by beatingAndrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round. He also beatMarcos Giron andIlya Ivashka to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost in straight sets toNovak Djokovic.
Nishikori then participated in2021 Citi Open in Washington, where he beatSam Querrey and 9th seedAlexander Bublik in straight sets. He then beatCameron Norrie to reach the quarterfinals. There, he beatLloyd Harris in straight sets to advance to the semifinals. He lost toMackenzie McDonald in three sets.He reached the third round at the2021 US Open. In October, he played his last event of the season at the2021 BNP Paribas Open where he lost in the second round.
On January 25, 2022, Kei Nishikori announced that he will be undergoingarthroscopic surgery on his left hip and will be aiming to come back on tour in about six months.[49]
Nishikori announced he was aiming to be able to return for the2023 Australian Open, stating that he has a 'strong desire' to return.[50] However, two weeks before the start of the tournament he announced he is still struggling with an ongoing foot injury and delayed his return to an undisclosed date.[51]
In April 2023, after one and a half year of absence, he announced he is planning to make his comeback at a Challenger level in May 2023.[52]In June, after close to two years off the ATP Tour he returned at the Challenger 752023 Caribbean Open in Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico,[53] and won his first match against American Christian Langmo. He then defeatedMitchell Krueger,Adam Walton, andGustavo Heide to reach the final, where he defeated another AmericanMichael Zheng to win the title.[54] He became the only player ever to win an ATP Challenger title while being unranked.[55]
He competed in his first tournament since Indian Wells 2021 at the2023 Atlanta Open where he reached the quarterfinals defeatingJuncheng Shang.[56]He skipped all the ATP Challenger tournaments on home soil in November and December due to a left knee injury.[57]
He received a wildcard for the2024 Miami Open but lost toSebastian Ofner.[58]Ranked No. 350, he entered the2024 French Open using protected ranking and defeated qualifierGabriel Diallo in five sets, for his first Major win since the US Open in 2021 and first win at Roland Garros the same year.[59]
Ranked No. 576, using protected ranking, he also entered the2024 National Bank Open and defeatedAlex Michelsen and eight seedStefanos Tsitsipas to reach the round of 16.[60][61] He then defeatedNuno Borges to reach his first ATP quarterfinal in a year and first Masters quarterfinal in five years since 2019. As a result he moved more than 350 positions back up to world No. 222 on 12 August 2024 and to the top 200 a month later. At his home tournament the2024 Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he received a wildcard, he reached another quarterfinal defeatingMarin Čilić[62] andJordan Thompson,[63] before losing to sixth seedHolger Rune.[64] He returned to the top 150 two weeks later at world No. 143 on 14 October 2024.[65][66]
In November 2024, Nishikori won his eighth ATP Challenger title at theHPP Open inHelsinki, Finland, defeatingLuca Nardi in the final in three sets.[67] As a result he moved up to world No. 107 in the singles rankings on 11 November 2024.[68]
He reached his first ATP Tour final in six years at the2025 Hong Kong Open after the retirement ofShang Juncheng and returned to the top 100 in the rankings on 6 January 2025, for the first time since June 2022.[69][70] He lost the match againstAlexandre Müller in three sets.[71][72][73] At the2025 Australian Open, Nishikori scored his first win at the tournament since 2019 with his 29th five-set career win overThiago Monteiro. With another five setter victory in the books, Nishikori record for the second highest winning percentage among active men’s players (after Djokovic) improved to 29-8.[74][75]
In February 2025, Nishikori recorded his 300th hardcourt career win to clinch the2025 Davis Cup Qualifiers first-round tie for Japan. Nishikori became only the 26th man in the entireOpen Era to achieve the feat and only the second man born in 1989 or later, afterGrigor Dimitrov.[76]
At the2025 Mutua Madrid Open Nishikori recorded his 450th career win overAleksandar Vukic, joining as the eight player the list of active players with 450+ wins and becoming the first Asian player to achieve the feat.[77][78]
Nishikori made his Davis Cup debut forJapan in April 2008 in theAsia/Oceania Zone Group I semifinal againstIndia in New Delhi. He was 18 years and 104 days old, the youngest player to play for Japan.[79] He played the singles rubber on the first day, but lost toRohan Bopanna in five sets. He then defeatedMahesh Bhupathi in a dead rubber to record his first Davis Cup match win. To date, Nishikori has compiled a 19–3 win–loss record overall (17–3 in singles and 2–0 in doubles).
In the2014 Davis Cup World Group first round in Tokyo, Japan defeatedCanada 4–1, and Nishikori had a hand in three Japan victories in the tie. He beatPeter Polansky andFrank Dancevic in the singles rubbers, and teamed up withYasutaka Uchiyama for a victory in doubles over Dancevic andDaniel Nestor. Japan advanced to the quarterfinals in the World Group for the first time,[80] but Nishikori missed the quarterfinal againstCzech Republic due to a left groin injury.[81]
Nishikori represented Japan at his maiden Olympics inBeijing 2008.[82] He lost in the first round toRainer Schüttler of Germany in three sets.
At theLondon 2012 Olympics, Nishikori competed in the singles and doubles competitions, partneringGo Soeda. In the singles, as the 15th seed, he reached the quarterfinals, knocking outBernard Tomic,Nikolay Davydenko, and fourth seedDavid Ferrer on the way. He became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals sinceTakeichi Harada in the 1924 Paris Olympics.[83] However, his run was ended by eighth seedJuan Martín del Potro of Argentina. In doubles, Nishikori and Soeda were eliminated in the first round by Switzerland's defending championsRoger Federer andStan Wawrinka.
Fresh from hisRogers Cup finals appearance in Toronto, Nishikori represented Japan at theRio 2016 Olympics, where he was seeded fourth. In the semifinals, he lost toAndy Murray and facedRafael Nadal for the bronze medal match, which he won in three sets; it was the first Olympic tennis medal for Japan in 96 years.[7]
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Nishikori and Wawrinka have met eleven times, with Nishikori trailing 4–7. Wawrinka won both of their first two meetings in 2012, in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters and in the quarterfinals of Buenos Aires, respectively. Nishikori recorded his first win against Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the2014 US Open in a thrilling five-set match; Nishikori later became the finalist of the tournament.
They met in another Grand Slam quarterfinal, this time at the2015 Australian Open. Wawrinka beat Nishikori in straight sets.
They met three times in 2016. Nishikori won two of those meetings. They both qualified for the2016 ATP World Tour Finals and were drawn in the same group. Nishikori defeated Wawrinka in their round-robin match.
Wawrinka won their most recent meeting at the2019 Madrid Open.
Nishikori and Raonic have met seven times, with Nishikori leading their head-to-head 5–2. They met once in 2012, four times in 2014, and twice during the 2015 season. At their first meeting in the 2012 Rakuten Japan Open final, Nishikori won in three sets. Their first meeting in 2014 was at the Madrid Masters, with Nishikori winning in two tiebreak sets. At Wimbledon in 2014 in the fourth round, Raonic scored his first win against Nishikori, beating him in four sets to advance to the quarterfinals. They met again in the US Open fourth round, where the match tied the all-time latest finish for a match at the US Open with Nishikori prevailing in five tight sets; the match lasted 4 hours and 19 minutes. They had a rematch of their 2012 final in the Rakuten Japan Open 2014 final, where Nishikori won again in three sets.
In 2015, the duo first met at the Brisbane International, with Raonic prevailing in three tiebreaks. This was followed later on in the same year in the Davis Cup, where Nishikori won in another epic five-setter to keep Japan's hopes for a quarterfinal place alive.
Nishikori and the now-retiredDavid Ferrer met 14 times, with Nishikori leading 10–4. They played for the first time in the2008 US Open, with Nishikori registering his first win over a top-10 player, beating Ferrer in a five-set thriller as a teenager. From 2011 to 2013, they met four times, with Ferrer winning three times in straight sets and Nishikori winning only once in the 2012 Olympics in three sets. Nishikori turned the tables in their head-to-head play in 2014, winning all four of their encounters. Their first meeting was at the Miami Masters where Nishikori beat Ferrer in three tight sets after saving four match points to progress to the quarterfinals. They next had an epic encounter at the Madrid Open, with Nishikori beating Ferrer in another tight three-setter to progress to the final of a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career. Their next two encounters were in the BNP Paribas Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals, where Nishikori again defeated the Spaniard in three sets.
In 2015, Ferrer had a remarkable start to the season, but was beaten in the Australian Open by Nishikori in a dominant straight-sets victory. However, Ferrer ended his losing streak to Nishikori in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where he beat Nishikori in straight sets in the final. In Madrid, in the quarterfinals, Nishikori took revenge and beat him in straight sets.
Nishikori and Cilic have met 16 times, with Nishikori leading 10–6. Cilic won their first ATP World Tour meeting in 2008 at Indian Wells, beating Nishikori in straight sets in the first round. In 2010, Nishikori avenged that loss at the US Open, beating Cilic in a tough five-setter lasting almost five hours. In 2011, they met at the Chennai Open where Nishikori beat Cilic in three sets. In 2012, they encountered each other at the US Open where Cilic avenged his past US Open loss to Nishikori by beating him in four sets to progress to the 4R. In 2013, they met at the Memphis Open where Nishikori beat him in straight sets to progress to the SF and he would later go on to win the title.
In 2014, their rivalry was more intense with 3 ATP meetings. They first met in 2014 at the Brisbane International where Nishikori beat him in three sets to book his semifinal spot. They met again at the clay courts of the Barcelona Open where Nishikori dominated Cilic in another straight sets victory where he would later go on to win his first title on clay. Their most significant meeting would be at the2014 US Open, they met in the finals after Nishikori overpowered world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Cilic overcame world No. 2 Roger Federer in the semifinals. Their meeting in the final made the 2014 US Open the first Grand Slam where none of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic reached the final since the2005 Australian Open. However, Nishikori was defeated in straight sets by an in-form Marin Čilić in the final.
In 2015, the pair met in the semifinals of the2015 Citi Open, with Nishikori coming back from a set down to prevail in three, and gain a place in his 15th career final. They meet again later on in the2015 Japan Open where Nishikori came back from a set down to defeat Cilic in three tight sets. In 2016, the duo met in the 4th round of the2016 Wimbledon where Nishikori retired mid-match in the 2nd set after losing the first set due to a rib injury which had disrupted his grass season. They met again in the final of theSwiss Indoors, where Cilic prevailed in straight sets. During the round-robin stage of the Year-End2016 ATP World Tour Finals, Cilic came from a set down to defeat Nishikori and ultimately prevail. Most recently, Nishikori defeated Cilic in the quarterfinals of theMonte-Carlo Masters by a score of 6–4, 6–7, 6–3.
At the2018 US Open, Nishikori and Cilic again met in the quarterfinals. In a five set thriller, Nishikori won a spot in the semifinal of the US Open for only the third time (and only the third time advancing past the quarters in any of the four majors).
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Nishikori has endorsed theWilson Burn 95; however, it is believed by racquet enthusiasts that he used an older modified Wilson nCode nTour underneath the Steam paint job.[citation needed] In the past, special versions of the Steam racquet have been sold by Wilson, exclusively in Japan, capitalizing on Nishikori's popularity in his home country. Most recently, in 2012 the Steam Pro was available for sale, and was advertised as having the same specifications as Nishikori's actual racquet.
From the 2015 to the 2018 season, Nishikori used the Wilson Burn 95.
As of 2019, after the dismissal of the Burn line, Nishikori currently endorses the Wilson Ultra 95.[84]
He wearsUniqlo clothing and as of the beginning of 2017 redNike Vapor Tour shoes after having played for almost a decade in Adidas.[85] He also is sponsored byNissin Foods,TAG Heuer,Fast Retailing,LVMH Moët Hennessy, Japanese financial services firm Jaccs Co.,[86]Wowow, mattress topper Air Weave,EA Games,[87]Delta Air Lines andJapan Airlines, in a deal which has his image emblazoned on a Boeing 777-300ER dubbed "JET-KEI".[88] He is often seen wearing aCup Noodles badge on his sleeve during matches. In 2011, he filmed a commercial forMorinaga & Company's sports drink Weider in Jelly.[89][non-primary source needed] He also carries around a character calledMr. Saturn from the popular video gameMother / Earthbound.
With solid and consistent shots on both wings, Nishikori plays most comfortably at the baseline, using groundstrokes to push his opponents around and occasionally hit winners. Like most players of his type he would be considered a defensive rallying type player who rarely tries to win points quickly or go to the net. He can generate medium pace, especially on his flat backhand, while his Western forehand is accurate and consistent. Because of this, many people have commented that he has the defensive skills ofNovak Djokovic.[citation needed] Many critics and fellow players have said that Nishikori's two-handed backhand is one of the best on the tour, on par with that of Djokovic andMurray.[citation needed] Nishikori has a slightly unusual style of hitting groundstrokes on both wings, winding up the racket with a short but compact takeback, and hitting the ball right at its peak. These make his groundstrokes powerful, accurate and unpredictable due to the delayed backswing, which prevents opponents from anticipating which direction the ball will go.
He has also been praised for his return of serves, which he executes well due to his ability to take them quickly. He is known to hit winners off return of serves with strong and accurate groundstrokes.
Standing at 5 ft 10 in, Nishikori's serve is not exceptionally strong. However, it is consistent enough to prevent opponents from easily winning points off it. He has a flat first serve that can reach speeds of up to 120 mph[90] and employs a topspin second serve. Nishikori uses his strong groundstroke game to compromise his weakness with serving.
Nishikori holds one of the highest-percentages of deciding-set wins in theOpen Era.[9]
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Current through the2025 Australian Open.
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | SR | W–L | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | 1R | A | 3R | QF | 4R | 4R | QF | QF | 4R | A | QF | A | 1R | A | A | A | 2R | 0 / 11 | 28–11 | 72% |
| French Open | A | Q2 | A | 2R | 2R | A | 4R | 1R | QF | 4R | QF | 4R | QF | 2R | 4R | A | A | 2R | A | 0 / 12 | 27–12 | 69% |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | 3R | 3R | 4R | 2R | 4R | 3R | QF | QF | NH | 2R | A | A | 1R | A | 0 / 13 | 22–12 | 65% |
| US Open | Q2 | 4R | A | 3R | 1R | 3R | 1R | F | 1R | SF | A | SF | 3R | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 11 | 27–11 | 71% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 8–3 | 8–4 | 12–4 | 8–3 | 15–4 | 9–3 | 12–3 | 14–4 | 1–1 | 6–4 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0 / 47 | 104–46 | 69% |
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2014 | US Open | Hard |  Marin Čilić | 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | US Open Series Champion 2016 | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | ATP Newcomer of the Year 2008 | Succeeded by |
Association of Tennis Professionals: Top ten male singles tennis players of theAsian Tennis Federation countries | |
|---|---|
as of 1 December 2025 | |
| |
|
Association of Tennis Professionals Top Japanese male singles tennis players | |
|---|---|
As of Feb 9, 2026 | |
| |
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
