Nishikori bids farewell to tennis: "I didn't want to end this way"
The Japanese player will hang up his racket this week at the ATP 500 in Tokyo, where he will face Frances Tiafoe in the first round. At 36 years old, the Japanese player is at peace to say goodbye to competition.
The career of a professional tennis player is filled with moments, though few are more exciting than the final dance, the one that puts an end to your entire journey. Kei Nishikori, who will turn 37 this December, already knows that this week he faces that very special chapter.
And of course, it couldn't be anywhere else but at the ATP 500 in Tokyo, at home, surrounded by all his people. Because it was in Japan where this adventure began – even though he quickly settled in Florida – where his roots grew and where he will now let the tide move the last waves on the court. How beautiful it has turned out.
What is clear is that the Japanese player has long since stepped out of the mainstream spotlight. I mean there came a time when his body, at a much too early age, revealed to him that he would never again be able to maintain the necessary consistency to fight for a top 10 spot and compete in the second weeks of Grand Slams. Do you remember the last time he was in the top 10? October 2019. However, this turbulent period can never overshadow his greatest achievements on the court: number 4 in the world, 12 ATP titles, or the US Open final in 2014, becoming the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final in singles. That year he also lifted the Tokyo trophy for the second time, although we haven’t come to review the entire list.
A farewell befitting a career
The road to this moment has been much more complicated than he probably imagined when he burst onto the elite scene. Injuries, especially the physical problems that affected much of his second stint as a professional, reduced his appearances and forced him to rebuild several times. Nishikori returned to the circuit after different breaks and by 2025 he closed the year at the position of 158 in the rankings, after playing only 20 matches.
Now Tokyo offers him something that no ranking can measure, the opportunity to say goodbye in front of his own people. The Japanese knows that there is probably no more appropriate way to close the circle. “This is my last moment,” he explained in ATP about a decision that makes this edition of the tournament something different for him. And the draw has also reserved a final challenging encounter for him. Nishikori will face Frances Tiafoe in the first round, so his farewell will have from the very first day the competitive ingredient that has accompanied his entire career. The American will likely be the last opponent of a player who for years was able to stand up to the best in the world, including the Big3.
Tokyo will not just be the place where Nishikori says goodbye; it will be the stage where a story that began long before the Japanese became the world number 4, a Grand Slam finalist, or a home champion, comes to an end. It will be the last chapter of a player who opened a door for an entire generation and who now, after nearly two decades in the elite, has decided to close it in front of his people. Now it has truly turned out beautifully.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nishikori dice adiós al tenis: "No quería terminar de otra manera"