Kei Nishikori's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Kei Nishikori. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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

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.

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.

2004: Riad 21 Tournament Win

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

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.

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: 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.

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: 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.

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.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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: 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.