Naomi Osaka is widely considered the best Japanese tennis player in the country's history; her multiple Grand Slam titles, singles titles, and global tennis influence throughout her career attest to that.
That said, Kei Nishikori has carved out quite the successful path for himself as well, and to date, while Osaka stands as the best tennis player Japan has ever offered, Nishikori is surely second, and at the very least, the best male player to ever grace the courts.
While his global influence and on-court success never reached Osaka's level, Nishikori has represented Japan splendidly, and his impact on tennis as a competitor won't be forgotten, nor will his 20-year journey carrying the Japanese flag on every court in every country he touched down in now that Nishikori has made the announcement of his retirement at the end of this year.
Kei Nishikori follows the handful of other tennis players calling it quits in 2026
Nishikori entered the tennis professional circuit in 2007 at the worst possible time, when the careers of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were defining sports domination. In those years, men's tennis was reaching heights it had never reached before, thanks to the elite brilliance that Federer and Nadal were bringing to the table.
Nishikori never reached elite status in tennis, unfortunately, but he was quite successful nonetheless. After turning pro in 2007, he won his first ATP title a year later in Delray Beach. Nishikori would go on to compete in 27 ATP tour finals, winning 12 of them: Tokyo (2x), Memphis (4x), Barcelona (2x), Kuala Lumpur, Washington, and Brisbane.
Nishikori would have his most successful year in 2014 and 2015, winning seven titles combined, including his second Tokyo Open title on home soil. Nishikori's success also extended on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2014, Nishikori's most successful year, he became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final. Unfortunately, after 2015, things slowed down significantly for Nishikori, with just two titles from 2016 to 2019, including his last and likely final title at the Brisbane International in Australia.
Nishikori hasn't won a title since, but has remained competitive on tour while also dealing with injuries. After 20 years, 12 titles, and over $26 million in prize money (with the rest of this season still ahead), Nishkori will walk away, which follows a theme of long-time players who have also decided that 2026 will be their final season.
Nishikori joins Stan Wawrinka, Gael Monfils, David Goffin, and Roberto Bautista Agut on the men's side who will retire this year. Earlier in the year, Milos Raonic and doubles champion Jamie Murray (Andy Murray's brother) also closed their professional tennis careers.
Nishikori will go down as one of Japan's best to do it, and as a historical figure in his country's history. While he never reached the top, he was a competitive force against those who did, and Nishikori can walk away from tennis looking back on a career that got the best out of him.
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