Kei Nishikori Ends Professional Career With Japan Open Loss to Frances Tiafoe

Kei Nishikori retired from professional tennis on Thursday after falling 6-4, 6-4 to Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Japan Open.

Kei Nishikori concluded his professional tennis career on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-4 first-round loss to second-seeded Frances Tiafoe at the Japan Open. The 36-year-old Japanese player entered the tournament as a wild card, having previously won the event in 2012 and 2014. According to the Associated Press, Nishikori had announced in May that he intended to retire at the end of the year, making this his final elite-level appearance on home soil.

A former world No. 4, Nishikori reached the final of the 2014 US Open, where he lost in straight sets to Marin Cilic. His final seasons were hampered by physical setbacks, including right shoulder pain that forced him to miss the Australian Open in January. He also remained sidelined during the 2023 US Open due to ongoing injury issues.

In other tournament action on Thursday, Spain's Jaume Munar defeated third-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was slated to face American Alex Michelsen later in the day following his recent 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 victory over Fritz at the Laver Cup in London.