Kei Nishikori retired from professional tennis after losing 6-4, 6-4 to Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Japan Open on October 1, 2026. The 36-year-old played his final match in front of his home crowd at Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum.
The former world No. 4 leaves the sport with 12 ATP Tour singles titles, a US Open final appearance and an Olympic bronze medal.
Nishikori’s final match in Tokyo
According to the Japan Open’s official match report, Nishikori recovered an early break after falling 0-2 behind in the opening set. He remained competitive, but Tiafoe won both sets to bring the Japanese player’s final tournament to an end.
“I wish I could have shown a little more of my tennis,” Nishikori said during his on-court interview with Shuzo Matsuoka.
The farewell continued after the result, with the crowd applauding Nishikori and a video tribute featuring messages from fellow players, including Novak Djokovic. Nishikori became emotional on his courtside bench as he reflected on the end of his playing career.
A Grand Slam breakthrough and Olympic bronze
Nishikori made history at the 2014 US Open by becoming the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final. His career-high ranking of No. 4 placed him among the leading players of his generation.
Two years later, he defeated Rafael Nadal to win bronze at the Rio Olympics. That victory secured Japan’s first Olympic tennis medal in 96 years.
Tokyo also provided two of his biggest successes at home, with Japan Open titles in 2012 and 2014.
Repeated injuries interrupted Nishikori’s later years on tour. Reflecting on those setbacks after his final match, he said his greatest source of pride was continuing to compete and refusing to give up until the end.