Former Top 10 player Kei Nishikori will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season, he announced in posts to his social media channels on Thursday.
The 36-year-old, now ranked No. 464, turned professional 20 years ago and had a history-making career for Japan. The peak came in 2014, where he became the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the US Open, and a career-high ranking of No. 4 less than a year later.
He went on to win Japan’s first tennis medal in 96 years when he took bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and became the first player from his country to record 450 or more ATP match wins when he eclipsed the mark last year.
“Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis, and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage,’” he wrote in a social media post. “Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of. Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.”
