Kei Nishikori to Retire End of 2026 Season

Kei Nishikori, the former world No. 4 and first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, announced Friday on social media that he will retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season.

The 36-year-old Japanese star, who turned pro in 2007, cited persistent injuries as a key factor in his decision. He has dropped to No. 464 in the ATP rankings after struggling with physical setbacks, including right shoulder pain that caused him to miss the Australian Open in January and last year's U.S. Open. In early April, Nishikori admitted he was "barely hanging on" in terms of fitness.

Nishikori's career highlights include reaching the 2014 U.S. Open final, where he lost in straight sets to Croatia's Marin Cilic after upsetting then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. That year, he won four ATP titles and posted a 54-14 record. He peaked at No. 4 in 2015, secured 12 tour-level titles, including the 2019 Brisbane International, and amassed a career record of 451 wins against 231 losses. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he earned a bronze medal in singles by defeating Spain's Rafael Nadal in three sets.

"Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of...