Nishikori accepts his reality: "I can't compete against the top100 guys"

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While all the focus of tennis is pointing towards Indian Wells in the coming weeks, Kei Nishikori is fighting in the Challenger circuit to take a step forward that allows him to smile again. Listening to the Japanese, his dose of realism comforts and saddens at the same time.

It comforts because you can see that he still has that drive within him, the impulse that gets you up every morning to be a little better than the day before. And on the other hand, it's sad to see how a tennis player who has been a world top player has so fully accepted that his best days will never return, that his body is in its final phase, and that his place on the circuit is far from the best. This is how 2026 looks for Kei Nishikori, a sensible man who still finds challenges to embrace.

After overcoming the qualification stage of the Thionville Challenger this past weekend (victories over Daniel Jade and Jelle Seis), the Japanese player will face the main draw starting tomorrow with the joy of having won two consecutive matches again, something he hadn't achieved since November. This is normal after having injured himself in his first match of the year and being sidelined for two months.

"It's true that this last match was not my best, but winning any match is still important," acknowledges Kei in an interview with L’Equipe. "I haven't competed in a long time, so I still need to get used to this. Anyway, I am happy to have qualified for the main draw of this tournament. I injured my shoulder in the first tournament of the year and needed almost two years to recover. I had planned to play in France these last two weeks, but I arrived too close to the deadline, so I couldn't. Luckily, I was able to compete," adds the man who will now face Frenchman Clement Tabur.

"I still love the competition, although it is clear that this is a smaller tournament compared to what I have played in my career, but I still enjoy facing tough matches," emphasizes Nishikori, fully aware of where he stands. "I no longer think I can compete against the top 100 guys, I am not young enough anymore, my body and my tennis don’t allow it. Before that, I have to keep working, keep improving step by step, and try to appreciate every stage of the journey. I need to chain matches, if I can play for 2-3 months in a row, I know I will regain confidence and competition rhythm," he confesses with emotion.

Kei Nishikori, a man without objectives at 36 years old

Currently ranked #284 in the standings, a lot has happened since our protagonist was last in the top 100 back in 2021. However, it is not this issue that worries him the most, not even matters related to results. At 36 years old, if Kei is still traveling the world between tournaments, it is for something much greater than just a score or a ranking.

"There are no goals for me this season, I just want to play and fight to earn some points, string together consecutive matches. If I think about it, I really have no goals, neither in terms of ranking nor in terms of results," shared the Shimane native in the interview, always displaying that hint of hope that many others would have already lost.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nishikori acepta su realidad: “No puedo enfrentarme a los chicos del top100”