Overview
- Nishikori announced in April that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season and on Monday won his first ATP Tour match of the farewell year, beating Shang Juncheng 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 at the Mubadala DC Open.
- He told reporters he decided to stop because long-running physical problems — including left hip surgery in January 2022 and other chronic injuries — left him low on motivation to continue competing.
- Tournament organizers gave him a wildcard into Washington and the U.S. Open confirmed a mixed-doubles entry pairing him with Naomi Osaka for this year’s event.
- Nishikori says he will play through the season and plans to end his career on the Asian swing, with a formal farewell event expected in Tokyo this autumn.
- Across his career Nishikori reached world No. 4, was the 2014 U.S. Open runner-up, won 12 ATP singles titles and earned an Olympic bronze in 2016, achievements that helped raise the profile of Japanese and Asian men’s tennis.