Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori will play his final professional tournament next week at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open. The 36-year-old Japanese star, plagued by injuries, announced the end of his 19-year career that began in 2007. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 2015 and finished runner-up at the 2014 US Open.
Kei Nishikori, who turned professional in 2007, has decided to retire following the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open, scheduled from April 5-12, 2026, at IMG Academy in Sarasota. As reported by the Herald Tribune, persistent injuries—including issues with his hip, ankle, shoulder, and back—have forced the 36-year-old to end his career. Currently ranked No. 417, Nishikori won the Sarasota event in 2010 and holds a strong 29-8 record in five-set Grand Slam matches, a 78.4% success rate. He is the only Japanese player in the Open Era to reach the top five in singles, with 12 ATP titles to his name. In the 2014 US Open final, he lost to Marin Čilić. Last year, Nishikori considered retirement after a first-round loss at the Cincinnati Masters. “Thought about retirement for the first time last year. After Cincy this year, I considered about it seriously. I’ve got through injury-comeback cycles countless times for the last three years, was forced to face the reality that I’d struggle for one more year until my tennis is back,” he told Japanese media. He added, “But I’ve decided to keep going… Partly because of my pride/willfulness. And I always feel like my talent is too good to end like that. Ending his career due to injury is the worst case for any athlete; I don’t want to be done with tennis like this.” The tournament field includes Cristian Garín, Zachary Svajda, Rinky Hijikata, Martin Damm, and Colton Smith, alongside past champions like Frances Tiafoe and Nick Kyrgios. Nishikori joins other veterans such as Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfils nearing the end of their careers.
