Tiafoe puts an end to Nishikori's career
The career of Kei Nishikori has come to an end. The Japanese player played his last match on Thursday at the ATP 500 in Tokyo, bidding farewell to professional tennis with a defeat against Frances Tiafoe by a score of 6-4, 6-4.
The result was secondary. At 36 years old, Nishikori had chosen his home to close a story that for over a decade made him the great reference of Japanese tennis. The one who wrote the final chapter was Tiafoe, currently ranked number 8 in the world, who fulfilled his role as the favorite and needed a little over an hour and a half to win in two sets. Tiafoe thus advances to the second round of the tournament, but this time the statistics will inevitably take a backseat.
The final point of Kei Nishikori's career 🙌
Frances Tiafoe advances thanks to a 6-4 6-4 victory over Kei Nishikori who finishes his playing career #japanopentennis pic.twitter.com/b8DmcYMMzM— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 1, 2026
The match belonged to Nishikori and a crowd that wanted to accompany him until the last point. The Japanese player's career deserved a farewell like this. Let's remember that Nishikori reached number 4 in the world and competed in the US Open final in 2014, in addition to winning 12 ATP titles. For many years, he was a regular presence in the final rounds of major tournaments and the first Japanese player capable of permanently positioning himself among the best in the men's circuit.
Tokyo was the chosen setting to close the circle, assuming that the journey would not go beyond that first position. There, where he received the warmth of his people so many times, Nishikori was able to enjoy one last match as a professional and a farewell worthy of his stature. Tiafoe, aware of the moment, also participated in that special atmosphere that turned a defeat into something much greater than a simple result. Now we can say it: Arigato, Kei.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tiafoe pone el punto final a la carrera de Nishikori