Japanese · Matsue, Shimane, Japan · Born 29 December 1989Kei Nishikori is a Japanese former tennis player and the highest-ranked Japanese man in ATP history, who became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 US Open.
Kei Nishikori became the first Asian man in history to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 US Open, defeating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic along the way in a result that permanently changed what Japanese — and Asian — tennis believed it could achieve at the sport's highest level. He turned professional in 2007 and won his first ATP title in 2008 in Delray Beach at just 18, still the youngest tour champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 1998. Nishikori built steadily toward the top of the game through the early 2010s, and produced the finest run of his career at the 2014 US Open, upsetting Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka, and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the final, becoming the first Asian man in history to reach a Grand Slam singles final; he lost the title match to Marin Čilić. That run helped him reach a career-high ranking of World No. 4 in March 2015, the highest ever achieved by a Japanese man, a mark he reached again in 2016. Nishikori won a bronze medal in singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Rafael Nadal in the third-place match to become the first Japanese man to win a tennis medal in 96 years. Coached for a period by 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang, he won 12 ATP Tour titles across his career despite battling recurring injuries, including multiple elbow and hip surgeries. Nishikori announced his retirement in 2026, choosing to close out his career with a wildcard appearance at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
First Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, at the 2014 US Open
How They Played
Compact, technically precise baseliner with an excellent forehand and elite return of serve
Lasting Impact
The highest-ranked Japanese man in tennis history and a trailblazer who inspired a generation of Asian tennis players, including Naomi Osaka
Career Honours
- US Open finalist (2014), first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final
- Career-high ranking of World No. 4
- Olympic bronze, singles (2016)
- 12x ATP Tour singles titles
- Beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the 2014 US Open
Japanese Athletes