Kei Nishikori ended his career on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to second seed Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Japan Open, making his final appearance on the court where he won the Tokyo title in 2012 and 2014.
The match ended with an extended rally before Tiafoe offered a muted celebration and embraced Nishikori at the net. The crowd at Ariake Coliseum rose to applaud the Japanese player. “Playing in Japan is always a special moment,” Nishikori told the home crowd. “I wish I could have put in a slightly more convincing performance. But I’m happy I kept fighting right to the end.”
Organizers honored his two decades on tour with a video tribute and the tribute included messages from Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang. Nishikori then completed a lap of honor around the court.
The match. Nishikori expressed disappointment with his performance at the final news conference of his career. “The match itself wasn’t that good, honestly, so I’m left with some frustration,” he said in Japanese. The significance of the occasion sank in after he left the court. “Right when it ended, it wasn’t that intense. But sitting on the bench, it hit me all at once.” He compared the moment to having “a huge amount of money in the bank and suddenly it’s zero.”
No second thoughts. Nishikori acknowledged a brief desire to continue but said his decision was final. “Honestly, a feeling that I could keep going a little longer is starting to come up right now; I’m definitely not going to, though,” he said. Before the tournament, he had spoken about ending his career at home. “I am excited to play in Japan but I also know this is my last moment,” he said. “So, it’s kind of sad.”
Nishikori received a wild card for his 12th and final appearance at the ATP 500 tournament. He entered the week with a 24-9 record at the event and finished at 24-10.
The record. Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 US Open, beating Djokovic in the semifinals before losing to Marin Cilic. He was also the second Asian man to enter the top 10, after Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan, Reuters noted. Nishikori reached a career-high No. 4 in 2015, won 12 ATP titles and earned Olympic singles bronze at Rio 2016. His 72.5 per cent winning percentage in deciding sets ranks third in ATP Tour history, behind Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. His career is covered in GTN’s Kei Nishikori profile.
Injuries repeatedly interrupted the second half of his career. He missed the Australian Open in January with right shoulder pain. Djokovic praised Nishikori’s persistence in his tribute message. “Your resilience and your fighting spirit to always come back after all the adversity you had with your body, injuries and everything that you faced is really commendable and admirable,” he said. Tournament top seed Carlos Alcaraz also contributed a message, saying he considered himself a fan.
What he leaves behind. Nishikori has voiced concern this season about the lack of Asian players near the top of the men’s rankings. After his final US Open appearance ended with a qualifying loss to fellow Japanese player Rei Sakamoto in August, he said: “It’s kind of sad that there [are] no Top-20 or Top-30 Asian players after me. That a little bit worries me.”
Tiafoe advances to the second round. Earlier on Thursday, third seed Taylor Fritz lost 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-3 to qualifier Jaume Munar. See GTN’s Japan Open draw preview for the draw breakdown and the Japan Open guide for tournament information.
