The first time Kei Nishikori played the Japan Open, in October 2007, he was only 17, needed a wild card to get in, and lost his opening match to Zack Fleishman. He also took part in the draw ceremony that week and was given an award by the Tokyo Sports Writers Club. Nineteen years later, he is back in the singles main draw at the same tournament, again on a wild card, for what will be his final professional tournament.
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Speaking to ATP Media in Tokyo, the 36-year-old described what that feels like.
“Very emotional. I have mixed feelings,” Nishikori shared in an interview with ATP Media in Tokyo. “I am excited to play in Japan. But I also know this is my last moment. So, it’s kind of sad. Of course, I want to play good tennis. There’s some pressure, but it’s exciting too.”
Nishikori announced his decision on April 30, in a social media post saying he would retire at the end of the 2026 season. He wrote that he still wishes he could keep playing, but that he can say “I gave it my all”. At that point, he was ranked 464th, had not played a tour-level event since the 2025 Cincinnati Open, and had just played a Challenger in Savannah, Georgia. Behind him were 12 tour titles, 451 tour-level wins, and a career-high ranking of No. 4. He had also won 72.4 per cent of deciding sets, and only Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe have a better figure.
On June 8, the Japan Open confirmed him for the singles main draw on a wild card. In a statement from organisers, Nishikori said he has “so many memories” of the event, expects plenty of emotion to return when he steps on court, and wants to show fans his best and finish on a high note. The build-up since has been rough, though. In August, he lost in the final round of US Open qualifying to fellow Japanese player Rei Sakamoto, 6-4, 7-6(3), someone he said he had practised with often at IMG, adding that he could not play his best. He then spoke about what comes after him.
“No plan yet, I hope I can help, especially Japanese or Asian tennis,” said Nishikori. “It’s kind of sad that there is no top 20 or top 30 Asian players after me. That a little bit worries me.
That said, Tokyo is where his best-known home result came. In the 2012 final, the eighth-seeded Nishikori beat Milos Raonic 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-0 and became the first Japanese man to win the Japan Open in its 41-year history. In a courtside interview, he said he had thought fate was against him at this event, and joked about the year’s supply of Corona beer from a sponsor, since he does not like beer. This week Nishikori called that title his biggest moment at the tournament. He said winning in Tokyo feels close to winning a Grand Slam, because the event is one of the dream tournaments for Japanese players, and he credited the crowd for pushing him through the deciding set.
“That was my biggest moment here,” Nishikori recalled. “Because I think for all the Japanese players, this is one of the dream tournaments, and everyone wants to win and I did it. It was 2012 and I beat Raonic.
The second title came in 2014, weeks after he became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, at the US Open. He beat Raonic again, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, with Typhoon Phanfone heading for Tokyo and the roof closed at Ariake Colosseum. He had been dealing with hip and lower back problems that week and had tears in his eyes as he hugged coach Michael Chang. It was his second straight title, after the Malaysian Open a week earlier. He finished that year with four titles and a 54-14 record, which became the best season of his career.
“I think 2014 was my best year,” Nishikori said. “Winning a title here again, it’s not easy, but I did it. I was very happy. I wish I could win a couple more but two times is good for me.”
“[I have felt the fan support] all the time,” Nishikori said. “These fans always pushed me to the end and I think that’s why I was able to win in the third set [against Raonic].”
He reached one more final in 2018 and lost to Daniil Medvedev. He last played the event in 2024, when he lost to Holger Rune in the quarterfinals. He arrives with a 24-9 record at the tournament, and this is his 12th and final appearance.
His opponent is Frances Tiafoe, the No. 2 seed and a career-high No. 8 in the world after a Cincinnati final and a US Open semifinal this summer. The two have met once, in Vienna in 2018, and Nishikori won 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2.
Tiafoe was asked about the retirement in July. He said he was a big fan, called Nishikori one of the nicest players on tour, and joked that he hoped they would meet again before the end because Nishikori had beaten him the only other time. The match is now set for Thursday, Oct. 1, at Ariake Coliseum.
Nishikori has said he has no set plan for what comes after, only a hope of helping Japanese and Asian tennis at some point: “Not right now but maybe in the future”. He leaves as the highest-ranked Japanese man of the Open Era. The draw he is leaving from already carries younger names from home, among them wild card Sho Shimabukuro, who opens against Denis Shapovalov.