Overview
- Nishikori announced at a Washington press conference on July 26 that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season and said he wants to enjoy and play well in his remaining matches.
- His first event after the announcement is the Mubadala DC Open, where he accepted an organizer’s invitation and is scheduled to meet Shang Juncheng in the first round.
- US Open organizers confirmed on July 27 that Nishikori has entered the mixed-doubles draw, indicating he intends to appear at the season’s final Grand Slam before retiring.
- He said persistent pain in multiple places limited the amount of training he could sustain, a decision he began weighing in August 2025 and finalized early in 2026 after a spring break improved his condition but did not change his plan.
- Nishikori is a former world No. 4 who won the DC Open in 2015 and is sponsored by Uniqlo, and his announcement has drawn personal tributes from peers such as Naomi Osaka who called him 'like a brother'; meanwhile, domestic sports coverage from the Inter-High reported Miyagi players Saito and Abe were eliminated in the badminton singles draw.