Kei Nishikori, a former U.S. Open finalist with a career-high ranking of No. 4, ended his tennis career after a defeat at the Japan Open on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Nishikori suffered a straight set loss (6-4, 6-4) to world No. 8 Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Japan Open in Tokyo.
The 36-year-old Nishikori had earlier announced plans to retire at the end of the year and was awarded a wild card entry to the Japan Open.
Nishikori, speaking in front of his home crowd, couldn’t hold back tears and said, “Playing in Japan is always a special moment. I wish I could have put in a slightly more convincing performance. But I’m happy I kept fighting right to the end.”
After losing to Tiafoe, Nishikori did a lap of honour at the main showcourt in Tokyo, where he was crowned of Japan Open twice, first in 2012 and then in 2014.
However, Nishikori’s 19-year career ended in a loss at the Japan Open as the tennis world sent farewell messages.
In a pre-recorded video message to the likes of Djokovic, Alcaraz, Andy Murray, and Tiafoe himself paid tribute and shared their memories from Nishikori’s career.
Nishikori began playing tennis when he was five and relocated to Florida as a 14-year-old teen to train.
He won 12 ATP Tour singles titles in his career and clinched 40 triumphs over top-10 players and went on to become the first Japanese man to reach the top 10 of the world rankings.
2026-10-01 17:18:00
