Kei Nishikori has announced he will officially retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season.
In arguably the most competitive era of all time, the Japanese star recorded a fantastic career, during which he has clinched 12 ATP titles.
Nishikori reached the peak of his career in 2014, when he made the final of the US Open after beating Novak Djokovic en route.
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
He could not get over the line in the championship match, however, falling to Marin Cilic in straight sets.
A year prior, Nishikori met Rafael Nadal on clay for the first time at the 2013 French Open, where the Spaniard saw his opponent’s potential.
Rafael Nadal’s reaction after playing Kei Nishikori in 2013
Nishikori had lost the first four clashes with Nadal heading into Roland Garros that year, having won just one set across all of the meetings.
And it did not go any better for Nishikori when he faced the ‘King of Clay’ on his preferred surface in Paris.
Nadal thrashed Nishikori in straight sets in the fourth round of the tournament, winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, Nadal had high praise for Nishikori after the match in his post-match press conference.
Would Rafael Nadal be the undisputed GOAT if not for injuries?
“He’s a player with a lot of talent,” said Nadal of the then up-and-coming 23-year-old star.
“Now he’s in the top of the ranking and he’s improving; playing round of 16 here in Roland Garros is great.
“He had a good tournament in Madrid, too, quarterfinals. I think he’s a candidate to be top 10 without any doubt.”
Not only did Nishikori crack the top ten, but in March 2015, he reached a career-high ranking of fourth in the world.
Kei Nishikori’s results during the 2026 ATP season
Having spent the last few years dealing with injuries, Nishikori’s ranking has plummeted to 464th in the world.
In 2026 so far, Nishikori has not featured at a single ATP event, with all of his matches played at Challenger level so far.
Across five tournament appearances, Nishikori has only gone as far at the round of 16 at Challenger events this year.
His last campaign at an ATP Tour event came at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, where he suffered a first-round exit.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
