Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kei Nishikori

How Kei Nishikori built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Kei Nishikori is a highly accomplished Japanese professional tennis player. He holds the distinction of being the only Japanese man in the Open Era to achieve a top-five singles ranking, reaching world No. 4 in 2015. Nishikori has secured twelve ATP Tour titles and was a runner-up at the 2014 US Open, making him the sole male player representing an Asian nation to reach a major singles final. He also made history as the first Asian man to qualify for the ATP Finals, reaching the semifinals twice. He is presently the top-ranked Japanese player.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1924: First Japanese Man to Reach the Quarterfinals Since 1924

In 2012, Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympics since Takeichi Harada in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

1933: First Japanese Man in Major Semifinals Since Jiro Sato

In 2014, Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man in 81 years to reach the semifinals at a Major since Jiro Sato in the 1933 French Championships.

1985: Youngest Quarterfinalist Since Boris Becker

Kei Nishikori became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals at Indianapolis since Boris Becker in 1985.

July 1992: Breaking Japanese Ranking Record

At the Shanghai Masters in 2011, Kei Nishikori reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal, after which he reached a career-high of world No. 30, breaking the previous Japanese mark of No. 46, set by Shuzo Matsuoka in July 1992.

2001: All Japan Tennis Championships for Kids Win

In 2001, Kei Nishikori won the All Japan Tennis Championships for Kids.

April 2002: First Junior Match

In April 2002, Kei Nishikori played his first junior match at the age of 13 at a grade 1 tournament in Japan.

2004: Riad 21 Tournament Title

In 2004, Kei Nishikori won the title at the Riad 21 Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.

2005: US Open First Round

In 2005, Kei Nishikori reached the first round of US Open.

July 2006: Combined Ranking No. 7

In July 2006, Kei Nishikori achieved a combined junior ranking of No. 7 in the world.

2006: Australian Open Quarterfinal

In 2006, Kei Nishikori reached the Quarterfinal of the Australian Open.

2006: Junior French Open Quarter-Finalist

In 2006, Kei Nishikori was a boys' singles quarter-finalist at the Junior French Open and won the boys' doubles title with Emiliano Massa.

2006: French Open Win

In 2006, Kei Nishikori won the French Open.

2007: Luxilon Cup Win

In 2007, Kei Nishikori won the Luxilon Cup held at the Sony Ericsson Open, defeating Michael McClune.

April 2008: Davis Cup Debut

In April 2008, Kei Nishikori made his Davis Cup debut for Japan against India in New Delhi. He lost his first singles rubber but won a dead rubber, marking his first Davis Cup match win.

June 2008: Wimbledon Championships Debut

On June 23, 2008, Kei Nishikori made his first Grand Slam appearance at the Wimbledon Championships, ending in a first-round forfeiture to Marc Gicquel due to an abdominal muscle strain.

August 2008: US Open Round of 16

On August 30, 2008, Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese player in 71 years to reach the round of 16 at the US Open, after beating David Ferrer. He was later defeated by Juan Martín del Potro.

2008: First Meeting and US Open Win

In 2008, Kei Nishikori first played David Ferrer at the US Open, where Nishikori won in five sets.

2008: Olympics Debut

In 2008, Kei Nishikori represented Japan at the Beijing Olympics, where he lost in the first round to Rainer Schüttler.

May 2010: Sarasota Open Victory

On May 15, 2010, Kei Nishikori won the Sarasota Open by defeating Brian Dabul in three sets.

2010: US Open Victory

In 2010, Kei Nishikori avenged his loss to Marin Čilić at the US Open in a five-set match.

2010: First French Open Appearance

In 2010, Kei Nishikori played in his first French Open, defeating Santiago Giraldo in the first round but losing to Novak Djokovic in the second round. He also lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Rafael Nadal.

2011: Chennai Open Win

In 2011, Kei Nishikori beat Marin Čilić at the Chennai Open in three sets.

2011: Swiss Indoors Basel Final

In 2011, Kei Nishikori defeated Novak Djokovic at the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament to reach the final, where he was defeated by Roger Federer. Following this, he achieved a ranking of world No. 24.

2011: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships Final

In 2011, Kei Nishikori reached his second final at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, where he was defeated by Ryan Sweeting.

2011: Australian Open Third Round

In 2011, Kei Nishikori reached the third round of the Australian Open, defeating Fabio Fognini and Florian Mayer before losing to Fernando Verdasco.

2012: Olympics Win

In 2012, Kei Nishikori beat David Ferrer in three sets at the Olympics.

2012: Australian Open Quarterfinals

In 2012, Kei Nishikori reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, becoming the first Japanese male player to do so in 80 years. He was later defeated by Andy Murray.

2012: First Meeting and Rakuten Japan Open Win

In 2012, Kei Nishikori won his first meeting against Milos Raonic in the Rakuten Japan Open final.

2012: London Olympics Quarterfinals

In 2012, at the London Olympics, Kei Nishikori reached the singles quarterfinals, marking the first time a Japanese man had reached this stage since 1924. He and his doubles partner were eliminated in the first round.

2013: Memphis Open Win

In 2013, Kei Nishikori beat Marin Čilić at the Memphis Open in straight sets, eventually winning the title.

2013: US Open First Round Loss

In 2013, Kei Nishikori lost in the first round of the US Open to Dan Evans.

2014: First Victory Over Federer Since 2014

At the ATP Finals, Nishikori defeated Roger Federer in straight sets, marking his first victory over Federer since 2014 and ending a six-match losing streak against him.

2014: Intense Rivalry and US Open Final Loss

In 2014, Kei Nishikori and Marin Čilić had three ATP meetings, with Nishikori winning at the Brisbane International and Barcelona Open. Čilić defeated Nishikori in the US Open final.

2014: Multiple Meetings and US Open Victory

In 2014, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic met four times, including Nishikori's win at the Madrid Masters and a five-set victory at the US Open. Raonic won at Wimbledon. Nishikori won also the Rakuten Japan Open final.

2014: Davis Cup World Group Success

In 2014, Kei Nishikori contributed to three victories in Japan's 4-1 Davis Cup win against Canada, helping Japan advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. He later missed the quarterfinal due to injury.

2014: US Open Final

In 2014, Kei Nishikori reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open, defeating several top players along the way, but ultimately losing to Marin Čilić. This run improved his singles ranking to world No. 8.

2014: Gerry Weber Open Semifinals

In 2014, Kei Nishikori reached the semifinals of the Gerry Weber Open before losing to Roger Federer.

2014: First Win Against Wawrinka at US Open

In 2014, Kei Nishikori recorded his first win against Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the US Open, later becoming the finalist of the tournament.

2014: Nishikori's Reversal of Dominance

In 2014, Kei Nishikori won all four of his encounters with David Ferrer, including wins at the Miami Masters, Madrid Open, BNP Paribas Masters and ATP World Tour Finals.

2014: Michael Chang Becomes Coach

In 2014, Michael Chang became Kei Nishikori's coach.

2014: 2014 US Open Semifinal Run

In 2014, Nishikori reached the semifinals of the US Open after defeating Benjamin Becker, Karen Khachanov, Nicolas Mahut, Ivo Karlović, and Andy Murray. He then lost to Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals.

2014: Failing to defend points at Mutua Madrid Open

In 2014, Nishikori's ranking dropped to sixth after failing to defend his points from the final at the Mutua Madrid Open.

March 2015: Career-High Ranking

In March 2015, Kei Nishikori achieved his career-high singles ranking of world No. 4, making him the first Japanese man in the Open Era to reach the top five.

2015: Brisbane International and Davis Cup Clash

In 2015, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic first met at the Brisbane International, with Raonic winning. Nishikori later won an epic five-setter in the Davis Cup.

2015: Victories and Defeats Against Ferrer

In 2015, Kei Nishikori beat David Ferrer at the Australian Open and Madrid Open, but lost to him at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

2015: Citi Open and Japan Open

In 2015, Kei Nishikori defeated Marin Cilic at the Citi Open and later at the Japan Open.

2015: Abierto Mexicano Telcel Final

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, earning enough ATP ranking points to move into a new career-high world ranking of No. 4. He also reached the fourth round of the 2015 BNP Paribas Open and the quarterfinals of the 2015 Miami Open.

2015: Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell Title Defense

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the final of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell after defeating Teymuraz Gabashvili, Santiago Giraldo, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Martin Kližan. He successfully defended his title by beating Pablo Andújar in the final in two sets, marking his ninth career title on the tour.

2015: Brisbane International Semifinals and Doubles Finals

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the semifinals of the Brisbane International and the doubles finals with Alexandr Dolgopolov.

2015: Memphis Open Title

In 2015, Kei Nishikori won his eighth singles title and became the first player to win the Memphis Open three times in a row.

2015: 2015 Italian Open and French Open

In 2015, Nishikori reached the quarterfinal of the Italian Open after beating Jiří Veselý and Viktor Troicki, but lost to Novak Djokovic. At the French Open, he advanced to the 4th round after defeating Paul-Henri Mathieu and Thomaz Bellucci, and benefited from Benjamin Becker's withdrawal. He then reached the quarterfinals, becoming the first Japanese man to do so in 82 years, before losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

2015: 2015 Citi Open, Rogers Cup and US Open

In 2015, Nishikori won the Citi Open, defeating John Isner in the final. At the Rogers Cup, he defeated Rafael Nadal for the first time but lost to Andy Murray in the semifinals. He withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters due to fatigue and hip injury and lost in the first round of the US Open to Benoît Paire.

2015: Meetings during the 2015 season

This entry refers to meetings between Nishikori and Raonic that occurred in the 2015 season.

February 2016: Tournament Victory Since February 2016

In 2019, Nishikori's victory at the Brisbane International was his first tournament victory since February 2016, breaking a streak of nine consecutive final losses.

2016: Multiple Meetings and ATP World Tour Finals Win

In 2016, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka met three times, with Nishikori winning two of those meetings, including their round-robin match at the ATP World Tour Finals.

2016: Bronze Medal at Summer Olympics

In 2016, Kei Nishikori defeated Rafael Nadal to win the bronze medal in singles at the Summer Olympics, securing Japan's first Olympic tennis medal in 96 years.

2016: ATP Finals Semifinals

In 2016, Kei Nishikori reached the semifinals of the ATP Finals for the second time.

2016: Wimbledon Retirement and Swiss Indoors Final

In 2016, Kei Nishikori retired mid-match at Wimbledon due to a rib injury and lost to Marin Čilić in the final of the Swiss Indoors. Cilic also won during the round-robin stage of the ATP World Tour Finals. In Monte-Carlo, Nishikori defeated Cilic.

2016: Rio Olympics Bronze Medal

In 2016, Kei Nishikori won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, marking the first Olympic tennis medal for Japan in 96 years.

2016: 2016 Rogers Cup Masters and Summer Olympics

In 2016, Nishikori lost to Djokovic in the finals of the Rogers Cup Masters in Toronto. He then participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he reached the semis before being defeated by Andy Murray. He won the bronze medal against Rafael Nadal, becoming the first Japanese man to win an Olympic tennis medal since 1920.

2016: 2016 ATP World Tour Finals

In 2016, Nishikori qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals for the third successive year. He won his first match against Stan Wawrinka, lost to Andy Murray and Marin Čilić, and was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, ending the season ranked World No. 5.

August 2017: Return to ATP Tour Competition

In August 2017, Nishikori made his return to the ATP Tour competition in New York after being away since August.

2017: Davis Cup Play-Off Victory

In 2017, Nishikori represented Japan in the Davis Cup Play-Off against Ukraine and won the doubles rubber alongside Yūichi Sugita, securing Japan's promotion back into the 2017 Davis Cup World Group.

2018: US Open Semifinal Berth

At the 2018 US Open, Kei Nishikori defeated Marin Čilić in the quarterfinals, securing a spot in the US Open semifinal for the third time.

2018: First Top 10 Win Since 2018

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kei Nishikori beat Andrey Rublev in straight sets marking his first top 10 win since 2018.

2018: 2018 Abierto Mexicano Telcel

In 2018, Kei Nishikori participated in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco as an unseeded player and lost against Denis Shapovalov in the first round.

2018: 2018 Monte-Carlo Masters and Italian Open

In 2018, Nishikori reached his 4th career Masters 1000 final at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to Rafael Nadal. He then lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. At the French Open, he reached the fourth round, losing to Dominic Thiem.

2018: ATP Challenger Title in Dallas

In 2018, after a 5-month injury layoff, Kei Nishikori won his sixth ATP Challenger career title in Dallas, defeating Mackenzie McDonald in the final.

2019: 2019 US Open Third Round

In 2019, Kei Nishikori reached the third round at the US Open.

2019: Brisbane International Victory

In 2019, Kei Nishikori started his season at the Brisbane International, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final to win the title, marking his first tournament victory since February 2016.

2019: First Masters Quarterfinal Since 2019

In August 2024, ranked No. 576, Kei Nishikori reached his first Masters quarterfinal since 2019 at the National Bank Open.

2019: First Win Since 2019

This entry mentions that on January 2025, Kei Nishikori scored his first win at the Australian Open tournament since 2019.

September 2020: Return to Major Level at 2020 French Open

In September 2020, Kei Nishikori returned to the Major level after the COVID season break at the French Open, winning his first round match.

2020: 2020 Tokyo Olympics

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kei Nishikori beat Andrey Rublev, marking his first top 10 win since 2018, Marcos Giron and Ilya Ivashka. He reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

2021: First Major Win Since US Open

In 2021, Kei Nishikori achieved his first Major win since the US Open, also marking his first win at Roland Garros the same year.

2021: Quarterfinals in Rotterdam and Dubai, Third Round in Miami

In 2021, Kei Nishikori reached the quarterfinals in Rotterdam and Dubai, and the third round in Miami after being seeded for the first time since the 2019 US Open.

2021: 2021 Grass Court Swing

In 2021, Nishikori had a quiet grass court swing, losing in Halle to Sebastian Korda and in Wimbledon to Jordan Thompson.

2021: 2021 ATP Cup and Australian Open

In 2021, Nishikori participated in the ATP Cup, losing both of his singles matches. He also lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Pablo Carreño Busta.

2021: 2021 Citi Open and US Open

In 2021, Nishikori participated in the Citi Open in Washington, reaching the semifinals. He also reached the third round at the US Open. He concluded the season at the BNP Paribas Open, where he lost in the second round.

2021: Clay-Court Swing Progress in 2021

In 2021, Nishikori showed progress on his clay-court swing, reaching the third round in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. He also had his best Grand Slam result in over a year at the French Open, reaching the fourth round.

June 2022: Ranking Since June 2022

This entry mentions that on January 2025, Kei Nishikori returned to the top 100 in rankings for the first time since June 2022.

April 2023: Planned Comeback at Challenger Level

In April 2023, Kei Nishikori announced his plan to make a comeback at the Challenger level in May 2023 after one and a half years of absence.

May 2023: Comeback at Challenger Level

In May 2023, Kei Nishikori planned to make a comeback at the Challenger level.

2023: 2023 Atlanta Open Quarterfinals

In 2023, Kei Nishikori competed in his first tournament since Indian Wells 2021 at the Atlanta Open, reaching the quarterfinals defeating Juncheng Shang. He later skipped ATP Challenger tournaments due to a left knee injury.

August 2024: National Bank Open Success and Ranking Improvement

In August 2024, Kei Nishikori reached the round of 16 and then the quarterfinal at the National Bank Open, resulting in a significant rise to world No. 222.

October 2024: Japan Open Quarterfinal and Top 150 Return

In October 2024, Kei Nishikori reached the quarterfinal at the Japan Open Tennis Championships and subsequently returned to the top 150, ranked No. 143.

November 2024: HPP Open Victory

In November 2024, Kei Nishikori won his eighth ATP Challenger title at the HPP Open in Helsinki, Finland, which led to him moving up to world No. 107 in the singles rankings.

2024: Miami Open and French Open Participation

In 2024, Kei Nishikori received a wildcard for the Miami Open but lost to Sebastian Ofner. Using protected ranking, he entered the French Open and secured his first Major win since the 2021 US Open.

January 2025: Hong Kong Open Final and Top 100 Return

In January 2025, Kei Nishikori reached his first ATP Tour final in six years at the Hong Kong Open and returned to the top 100 in the rankings. He also won his first match at the Australian Open since 2019.

February 2025: 300th Hardcourt Career Win

In February 2025, Kei Nishikori achieved his 300th hardcourt career win, clinching the Davis Cup Qualifiers first-round tie for Japan. He is only the 26th man in the Open Era to achieve this feat.