History of Kei Nishikori in Timeline

Kei Nishikori is a highly accomplished Japanese professional tennis player. He is notable for being the only Japanese man in the Open Era to achieve a top-five singles ranking, peaking at world No. 4 in 2015. Nishikori has secured twelve ATP Tour titles and made history as the first man representing an Asian country to reach a major singles final at the 2014 US Open. Additionally, he was the first Asian man to qualify for the ATP Finals, reaching the semi-finals twice. He is currently the top-ranked Japanese player.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1920: Ichiya Kumagae wins Olympic tennis medal

In the 1920 Summer Olympics, Ichiya Kumagae became the first Japanese man to win an Olympic tennis medal.

1924: Last Quarterfinal Since 1924

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

1933: Jiro Sato at French Championships

In 1933, Jiro Sato reached the semifinals at French Championships.

1985: Boris Becker's Indianapolis Quarterfinal

In 1985, Boris Becker reached the quarterfinals at Indianapolis.

December 1989: Kei Nishikori Born

Kei Nishikori was born on December 29, 1989. He is a Japanese professional tennis player.

Others born on this day/year

1989: Year of Birth

In 1989, Kei Nishikori was born. As of February 2025, he was only the second man born in 1989 or later to achieve 300 hardcourt career wins.

Others born on this day/year

July 1992: Shuzo Matsuoka's Ranking

In July 1992, Shuzo Matsuoka set the previous Japanese high mark of No. 46 in world ranking.

2001: All Japan Tennis Championships for Kids

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 Win

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

2004: Joins IMG Academy

In 2004, at the age of 14, Kei Nishikori moved to Bradenton, Florida to join the IMG Academy.

2005: Wimbledon and US Open Result

In 2005, Kei Nishikori reached round 1 at Wimbledon and round 3 at the US Open.

2005: US Open First Round

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

2005: First Grand Slam Since 2005

In 2014, the US Open was the first Grand Slam where none of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic reached the final since the 2005 Australian Open.

July 2006: Junior Ranking of No. 7

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

2006: Australian Open Quarterfinalist

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

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 in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I semifinal against India in New Delhi. He lost his first singles rubber but won his first Davis Cup match against Mahesh Bhupathi. He was 18 years and 104 days old, the youngest player to play for Japan.

June 2008: Wimbledon Debut

On June 23, 2008, Kei Nishikori made his first Grand Slam appearance at the Wimbledon Championships, but ended in a first-round forfeiture to French player 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.

2008: First Meeting Against Cilic

In 2008, Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic first met at the ATP World Tour in Indian Wells, where Cilic won.

2008: First Meeting with David Ferrer at US Open

In 2008, Kei Nishikori played David Ferrer for the first time at the US Open, registering his first win over a top-10 player, beating Ferrer in a five-set thriller as a teenager.

2008: Olympics Debut

In 2008, Kei Nishikori represented Japan at his maiden Olympics in Beijing. He lost in the first round to Rainer Schüttler of Germany.

2008: ATP Newcomer of the Year

In 2008, Kei Nishikori was named ATP Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first Asian player to win the award. He also had to withdraw from the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open due to an injured right elbow.

May 2010: Sarasota Open Win

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

December 2010: Dante Bottini Becomes Coach

In December 2010, Dante Bottini became Kei Nishikori's coach.

2010: US Open Win Against Cilic

In 2010, Kei Nishikori avenged his loss to Marin Cilic at the US Open, winning in a tough five-setter.

2010: First French Open

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. He also lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Rafael Nadal.

2010: US Open Third Round

In 2010, at the US Open, Kei Nishikori defeated Marin Čilić in the second round to advance to the third round, his best Grand Slam tournament showing of the year.

2011: Meetings with David Ferrer

From 2011 to 2013, Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer met four times, with Ferrer winning three times and Nishikori winning once.

2011: Chennai Open Win Against Cilic

In 2011, Kei Nishikori defeated Marin Cilic 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: Filmed commercial for Weider in Jelly

In 2011, Kei Nishikori filmed a commercial for Morinaga & Company's sports drink, Weider in Jelly.

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 but was defeated by Ryan Sweeting.

2011: Australian Open Third Round

In the 2011 Australian Open, Kei Nishikori reached the third round.

January 2012: Rankings

In January 2012, Nishikori had his lowest ranking.

2012: Australian Open Quarterfinals

At the 2012 Australian Open, Kei Nishikori reached the quarterfinals, becoming the first Japanese male player to do so in 80 years.

2012: US Open Loss Against Cilic

In 2012, Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic encountered each other at the US Open where Cilic avenged his past US Open loss to Nishikori by beating him in four sets to progress to the 4R.

2012: First Meeting Against Raonic

In 2012, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic first met at the Rakuten Japan Open final, where Nishikori won in three sets.

2012: Olympics Win against Ferrer

In 2012, Kei Nishikori won against David Ferrer in the Olympics in three sets.

2012: London Olympics Quarterfinal

In 2012, at the London Olympics, Kei Nishikori reached the singles quarterfinals, becoming the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals since 1924. In doubles, Nishikori and Go Soeda were eliminated in the first round.

2012: Wilson Steam Pro Availability

In 2012, special versions of the Steam racquet were sold by Wilson, exclusively in Japan, capitalizing on Kei Nishikori's popularity in his home country. The Steam Pro was available for sale, advertised as having the same specifications as Nishikori's actual racquet.

2012: Monte-Carlo Masters first entry since 2012

Nishikori entered the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time since 2012,.

2013: Meetings with David Ferrer

From 2011 to 2013, Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer met four times, with Ferrer winning three times and Nishikori winning once.

2013: Memphis Open Win Against Cilic

In 2013, Kei Nishikori defeated Marin Cilic at the Memphis Open to progress to the SF and he would later go on to win the title.

2013: US Open First Round Loss

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

January 2014: Michael Chang Joins Coaching Team

In January 2014, Michael Chang was added to Kei Nishikori's coaching team.

March 2014: Rankings

Since March 2014, Nishikori ranked out of the top 20.

2014: Victory over Federer since 2014

At the ATP Finals, Nishikori defeated Roger Federer, marking his first victory over Federer since 2014.

2014: US Open Rematch

At the US Open, Nishikori faced Marin Čilić in a rematch of the 2014 final.

2014: Meetings and US Open Final Loss to Cilic

In 2014, Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic had three ATP meetings. At the US Open, Nishikori was defeated in straight sets by Marin Čilić in the final.

2014: Meetings and Wimbledon Loss to Raonic

In 2014, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic met four times. At Wimbledon, Raonic scored his first win against Nishikori, beating him in four sets. They also met at the Madrid Masters and the US Open, and in a rematch of their 2012 final in the Rakuten Japan Open.

2014: Gerry Weber Open Semifinals and Wimbledon Fourth Round

In 2014, Kei Nishikori reached the semifinals of the Gerry Weber Open and the fourth round of Wimbledon.

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: US Open Runner-Up and ATP Finals

In 2014, Kei Nishikori was runner-up at the US Open, making him the only man representing an Asian country to contest a major singles final. He also qualified for the ATP Finals, reaching the semifinals.

2014: Four Encounters with David Ferrer

In 2014, Kei Nishikori won all four of his encounters with David Ferrer, including the Miami Masters and Madrid Open.

2014: Michael Chang becomes Coach

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

2014: Failing to defend points from the final

In 2014, Nishikori reached the final in Mutua Madrid Open.

2014: Davis Cup World Group First Round Victory

In 2014, in the Davis Cup World Group first round in Tokyo, Japan defeated Canada 4–1, and Kei Nishikori contributed to three Japan victories in the tie. However, Nishikori missed the quarterfinal against Czech Republic due to a left groin injury.

March 2015: Career-High Ranking

In March 2015, Kei Nishikori achieved his career-high ranking of world No. 4 in singles, making him the only Japanese man in the Open Era to be ranked in the top five and the second man in history to do so after Jiro Sato.

2015: Used Wilson Burn 95

From 2015 to the 2018 season, Kei Nishikori used the Wilson Burn 95.

2015: Meetings with Ferrer: Australian Open and Abierto Mexicano Telcel

In 2015, David Ferrer was beaten in the Australian Open by Kei Nishikori. Ferrer ended his losing streak to Nishikori in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. In Madrid, Nishikori beat him in straight sets.

2015: Meetings with Raonic in Brisbane and Davis Cup

In 2015, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic first met at the Brisbane International, with Raonic prevailing in three tiebreaks. This was followed later in the year in the Davis Cup, where Nishikori won in another epic five-setter.

2015: Australian Open Quarterfinal Loss to Wawrinka

In 2015, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka met in the Australian Open quarterfinal, where Wawrinka beat Nishikori in straight sets.

2015: Citi Open Semifinal Win and Japan Open Win Against Cilic

In 2015, Kei Nishikori came back from a set down to prevail against Marin Cilic in the Semifinals of the Citi Open, and gain a place in his 15th career final. They meet again later on in the 2015 Japan Open where Nishikori came back from a set down to defeat Cilic in three tight sets.

2015: Davis Cup Win against Raonic

In 2015, Kei Nishikori played Milos Raonic at the Brisbane International where Raonic prevailed in three tiebreaks. Later on in the same year in the Davis Cup, Nishikori won in another epic five-setter to keep Japan's hopes for a quarterfinal place alive.

2015: Abierto Mexicano Telcel and March Masters

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel and the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. He achieved a new career high world ranking of No. 4. He reached the Quarterfinals of the Miami Open.

2015: Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and Mutua Madrid Open

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the final of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell after defeating several opponents. He successfully defended his title by beating Pablo Andújar in the final, winning his ninth career title. At the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open, he reached the semifinals after beating Roberto Bautista Agut and David Ferrer but lost to Andy Murray, causing his ranking to drop.

2015: Brisbane International and Memphis Open

In 2015, Kei Nishikori reached the semifinals of the Brisbane International and won his eighth singles title at the Memphis Open, becoming the first player to win it three times in a row.

2015: Citi Open, Rogers Cup, and US Open

In 2015, Kei Nishikori won the Citi Open, capturing his third title of the year and 10th overall. At the 2015 Rogers Cup, he reached the semifinals, defeating Rafael Nadal for the first time but lost to Andy Murray. He withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters due to fatigue and a hip injury and lost in the first round of the 2015 US Open to Benoît Paire.

2015: Italian Open and French Open

In 2015, at the Italian Open, Nishikori reached the quarterfinal but lost to Novak Djokovic. At the 2015 French Open, he advanced to the 4th round after Benjamin Becker withdrew and reached the quarterfinals, becoming the first Japanese man to do so in 82 years, but lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

February 2016: Brisbane International Title

In 2016 February, it marked Nishikori first tournament victory since.

2016: Meetings and ATP World Tour Finals Win Against Wawrinka

In 2016, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka met three times. Nishikori won two of those meetings. They both qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals and were drawn in the same group, where Nishikori defeated Wawrinka in their round-robin match.

2016: Olympic Bronze Medal

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.

2016: Wimbledon Retirement and Swiss Indoors Final Loss Against Cilic

In 2016, Kei Nishikori retired mid-match in the 4th round of Wimbledon in the 2nd set after losing the first set due to a rib injury against Marin Cilic. They met again in the final of the Swiss Indoors, where Cilic prevailed. During the round-robin stage of the Year-End 2016 ATP World Tour Finals, Cilic came from a set down to defeat Nishikori.

2016: Rogers Cup Masters and Summer Olympics

In 2016, Nishikori lost to Djokovic in the finals of the Rogers Cup Masters in Toronto. He also participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze medal, becoming the first Japanese man to win an Olympic tennis medal since 1920.

August 2017: Injury at Montreal

Since August 2017 Montreal, Nishikori returns to the ATP Tour competition.

2017: Switches shoe brands to Nike

In 2017, Kei Nishikori switched from Adidas to Nike, wearing red Nike Vapor Tour shoes.

2017: Davis Cup Play-Off

In 2017, Nishikori represented Japan in the Davis Cup Play-Off against Ukraine, winning the doubles match alongside Yūichi Sugita, promoting Japan back into the 2017 Davis Cup World Group.

2018: Used Wilson Burn 95

From 2015 to the 2018 season, Kei Nishikori used the Wilson Burn 95.

2018: ATP Challenger Titles in Dallas

In 2018, Kei Nishikori returned from injury, playing at American challenger tour events. He won his sixth ATP Challenger career title in Dallas, defeating Mackenzie McDonald in the final.

2018: ATP 250 Tournament and Abierto Mexicano Telcel

In 2018, Kei Nishikori returned to the ATP Tour competition at the ATP 250 Tournament in New York, reaching the semifinal. He then participated in the 2018 Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, losing in the first round.

2018: Monte-Carlo Masters and Italian Open and French Open

In 2018, Nishikori reached the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to Rafael Nadal. At the 2018 Italian Open, he reached the quarterfinals. At the 2018 French Open, he reached the fourth round.

2018: US Open Semifinal Appearance

In 2018, at the US Open, Kei Nishikori met Marin Cilic again in the quarterfinals. Nishikori won a spot in the semifinal of the US Open for only the third time.

2018: Tokyo Olympics

Nishikori recorded his first top 10 win since 2018 by beating Andrey Rublev.

2019: Most Recent Meeting Loss to Wawrinka

In 2019, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka last met at the Madrid Open, where Wawrinka won.

2019: Last Masters Quarterfinal Until August 2024

In 2019, Kei Nishikori played in a Masters quarterfinal, but didn't reach another until August 2024 at the National Bank Open.

2019: Last Win at Australian Open Until 2025

In 2019, Kei Nishikori won a match at the Australian Open, but did not win another match at the tournament until January 2025 against Thiago Monteiro.

2019: Brisbane International Title

In 2019, Kei Nishikori won the Brisbane International, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. This was his first tournament victory since February 2016.

2019: US Open Third Round

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

2019: Endorsement of Wilson Ultra 95

In 2019, after the dismissal of the Burn line, Kei Nishikori began endorsing the Wilson Ultra 95.

2019: Wimbledon quarterfinal since 2019

In 2021, Kei Nishikori made his first quarterfinal since Wimbledon 2019 in Rotterdam.

September 2020: French Open First Round Win

In September 2020, following the COVID season break, Nishikori won his first-round match at the French Open.

December 2020: Marriage to Mai Yamauchi

In December 2020, Kei Nishikori married his long-term girlfriend Mai Yamauchi.

2020: Tokyo Olympics

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nishikori recorded his first top 10 win since 2018 by beating Andrey Rublev. He reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

2021: Indian Wells Tournament

In 2021, Kei Nishikori competed at Indian Wells, after which he didn't compete in any tournaments until the 2023 Atlanta Open due to injury.

2021: Rotterdam and Dubai Quarterfinals

In 2021, Kei Nishikori made his first quarterfinal since Wimbledon 2019 in Rotterdam. He also made the quarterfinals in 2021 Dubai.

2021: ATP Cup and Australian Open

In 2021, Kei Nishikori played in the ATP Cup, losing both of his singles matches. At the 2021 Australian Open, he lost in the first round to Pablo Carreño Busta.

2021: Clay-Court Swing Progress

In 2021, Nishikori had progress in his clay-court swing, reaching the third round in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. He also reached the fourth round at the French Open.

2021: Citi Open and US Open

In 2021, Nishikori participated in the Citi Open in Washington, reaching the semifinals. He reached the third round at the 2021 US Open and played his last event of the season at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

2021: Last Major Win at US Open

In 2021, the US Open was the last Major win for Kei Nishikori until he won against Gabriel Diallo in the 2024 French Open.

2021: Grass Court Season

Nishikori's 2021 grass court swing was not successful, losing in Halle to Sebastian Korda and in Wimbledon to Jordan Thompson.

January 25, 2022: Arthroscopic Surgery

On January 25, 2022, Kei Nishikori announced that he would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left hip and aimed to return in about six months.

June 2022: Ranking Outside Top 100

In June 2022, Kei Nishikori's ranking fell outside the top 100, and he did not return to the top 100 until January 6, 2025, when he reached the Hong Kong Open final.

April 2023: Comeback Plans

In April 2023, after one and a half year of absence, he announced he is planning to make his comeback at a Challenger level in May 2023.

May 2023: Comeback at Challenger Level

In May 2023, Nishikori announced his comeback at a Challenger level.

2023: Atlanta Open Quarterfinals

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

2023: Australian Open Delayed Return

In 2023, Nishikori aimed to return for the Australian Open but delayed his return due to an ongoing foot injury.

August 2024: National Bank Open Success

In August 2024, ranked No. 576, Kei Nishikori entered the National Bank Open using protected ranking and defeated Alex Michelsen and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the round of 16. He then defeated Nuno Borges to reach his first ATP quarterfinal in a year and first Masters quarterfinal since 2019. As a result, he moved to world No. 222 on August 12, 2024.

October 2024: Japan Open Quarterfinal

In October 2024, at his home tournament, the Japan Open Tennis Championships, Kei Nishikori reached another quarterfinal defeating Marin Čilić and Jordan Thompson before losing to Holger Rune. He returned to the top 150 two weeks later at world No. 143 on October 14, 2024.

November 2024: HPP Open Victory

In November 2024, Kei Nishikori won his eighth ATP Challenger title at the HPP Open in Helsinki, Finland, defeating Luca Nardi in the final. As a result, he moved up to world No. 107 in the singles rankings on November 11, 2024.

2024: French Open Major Win

In 2024, Kei Nishikori received a wildcard for the Miami Open but lost to Sebastian Ofner. Ranked No. 350, he entered the French Open using protected ranking and defeated Gabriel Diallo in five sets, marking his first Major win since the 2021 US Open and his first win at Roland Garros the same year.

January 2025: Hong Kong Open Final and Australian Open Win

In January 2025, Kei Nishikori reached his first ATP Tour final in six years at the Hong Kong Open after the retirement of Shang Juncheng and returned to the top 100 in the rankings on January 6, 2025, for the first time since June 2022. He lost the match against Alexandre Müller. At the Australian Open, Nishikori scored his first win at the tournament since 2019 with his 29th five-set career win over Thiago Monteiro.

February 2025: 300th Hardcourt Career Win

In February 2025, Kei Nishikori recorded his 300th hardcourt career win to clinch the 2025 Davis Cup Qualifiers first-round tie for Japan, becoming the 26th man in the Open Era to achieve this feat and only the second man born in 1989 or later.

2025: Delray Beach Open

As of 2025, Kei Nishikori's career is current through the 2025 Delray Beach Open.

2025: 450th Career Win

In 2025, at the Mutua Madrid Open, Kei Nishikori recorded his 450th career win over Aleksandar Vukic, joining the list of active players with 450+ wins and becoming the first Asian player to achieve this feat.