Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori has officially ended his 19-year professional tennis career. The 36-year-old veteran played his last match in front of his home crowd in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo, where he lost 4:6, 4:6 to second-seeded Frances Tiafoe (USA).
The two-time champion in the competition, who participated with a “wild card“, demonstrated character and his trademark style in the 75-minute match. Nishikori managed to return an early break to 3:3 in the first set, but Tiafoe took three consecutive games to close out the set. Another early break for 2:1 in the second set was enough for the American to seal the victory.
“I'm very excited to be playing in Japan, but I also know that this is my last moment on the court. So it's kind of sad“, said an emotional Nishikori after the match.
The Japanese player leaves a bright mark on the history of the sport – finalist at the US Open 2014, winner of 12 ATP titles and the first Asian to break into the top 10 of men's tennis. At the Rio 2016 Games, he also brought Japan its first Olympic medal in tennis in nearly a century, winning bronze.