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27 Jul 2026 | 09.25
Kei Nishikori is approaching the final months of his professional career after announcing that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season. The Japanese, former world number 4 and US Open finalist, is making a comeback this week at the ATP 500 in Washington and has explained how the endless string of injuries ended up dimming the motivation that had accompanied him throughout his career.
Speaking of Kei Nishikori means talking about one of the best players who had the competitive misfortune to coincide with the Big 3. A Grand Slam finalist and winner of four Masters 1000 titles, quarterfinalist at all four majors, and Olympic medalist, the Japanese built an extraordinary career without clinching one of those major titles his level deserved.
At 36 years old, and after a particularly cruel last five years with his physical condition, he now faces each tournament with a different perspective: to compete, enjoy, and bid farewell to tennis by rediscovering the sensations that injuries had taken away.
Nishikori reveals when he began to seriously consider retirement
The decision did not stem from a specific defeat or the absolute inability to continue competing. It was something much more revealing for someone who had dedicated practically his entire life to tennis: he stopped feeling the necessary motivation to rebuild his body once again.
"The thought crossed my mind for the first time after a tournament last August. I had pain in three or four parts of my body and I realized that I was unable to make the decision to physically prepare myself again to fight on the court," Nishikori explained in statements collected by Kyodo News during the Media Day in Washington.
The statement perfectly sums up the wear and tear of his recent years. Nishikori underwent left hip surgery in January 2022, and when he managed to return to competition in June 2023, other physical problems kept arising. Every attempt to gain continuity seemed to lead to a new setback.
"I felt like my feet were heavy when I went to train and do physical preparation. Something like that had never happened to me before, and that's when the idea of retiring crossed my mind," admitted the Japanese, acknowledging that he had gone through an especially challenging last year.
For a player accustomed to rebuilding time and time again, realizing that the desire to start over no longer automatically appeared turned out to be the definitive sign.
Nishikori's extraordinary career was overshadowed by the Big 3
Nishikori's record perhaps does not fully convey the dimension of the player he became. His peak in the rankings was world number 4 in March 2015, the highest position ever reached by a Japanese male player in the Open Era.
His big opportunity came a few months earlier. At the 2014 US Open, Nishikori defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and became the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final. Marin Cilic ultimately defeated him in the title match, thwarting an opportunity that would never present itself again.
New York was always his grand stage. It was the only Grand Slam where he managed to break through the quarterfinal barrier, although his remarkable consistency allowed him to reach that stage at all four majors over his career.
His unfinished business were the Masters 1000 events. It is surprising that a player of such caliber ends his career without claiming a title in that category, especially considering he reached four finals. Perhaps in another era, he might have found the necessary space to add one of those prestigious trophies to his collection, but his prime coincided with an exceptionally demanding generation.
Nishikori was one of many outstanding players who realized to what extent Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic minimized opportunities for everyone else. His talent, speed, extraordinary ability to take the ball early, and one of the best backhands of his generation allowed him to get close to them but not sustain the necessary level for long enough to dethrone them on the big stages.
The US Open 2014 and the bronze in Rio, unforgettable memories in Kei Nishikori's life
If that Flushing Meadows final represents the big "what if..." of his career, there were other moments when Nishikori did manage to turn his tennis into historic successes for his country. One of the most special came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he defeated Rafael Nadal to win the bronze medal. Japan had been waiting 96 years for an Olympic tennis medal, turning Nishikori into a national sports reference.
For many years, he was also one of the most reliable players just behind the dominant figures. His ability to reach the latter stages of important tournaments was remarkable, even though that major title, which would have changed the historical perception of his career, was missing. Injuries ultimately did the rest. What were once awkward interruptions during his peak turned, over the years, into an almost endless spiral that prevented him from regaining the essential continuity to return to the elite.
Washington allows Nishikori to enjoy once again: "I am starting to love tennis again"
That's why his presence this week at the 2026 Washington ATP 500 holds special significance. It will be his first tournament since he announced in late April that this season would mark the end of his career, coming after giving his body a period of rest that seems to have benefited him greatly.
"I have been able to train without holding back, and I am feeling better and better," explained Nishikori. Even more important is what he added immediately after: "It's great to feel that I am starting to love tennis again as I approach the end."
Perhaps this is where the true objective of his final tournaments lies. Rankings, points, and results have lost much of the importance they once had for almost two decades. Nishikori now seeks to depart peacefully from the sport to which he has dedicated his life, being able to compete without the constant physical constraints that marked his final years.
Washington will be another stop in this farewell. There is no longer the obligation to chase the top 10, a Masters 1000 title, or that elusive second Grand Slam final. Each match now holds a special significance as the countdown is on.
Kei Nishikori will leave without a Grand Slam or a Masters 1000 title, but reducing his legacy to those absences would be profoundly unfair. He was a former world number 4, a US Open finalist, an Olympic medalist, and remained for years among the few players capable of challenging an irreplaceable generation. Now it remains to be seen how far he can go in his final tournaments and, above all, if he can bid farewell as he wishes: rekindling his enjoyment for tennis.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Kei Nishikori explica por qué ha decidido retirarse: "Sentía que mis pies pesaban cuando iba a entrenar"
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