Kei Nishikori retires after Japan Open defeat by Frances Tiafoe

Kei Nishikori ended his professional tennis career at the Japan Open in Tokyo on 1 October 2026, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Frances Tiafoe in the first round. The 36-year-old former world No. 4 finished in front of a home crowd at a tournament he had won twice, closing a career that made him the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

Nishikori told the crowd that playing in Japan was always special, according to BBC Sport. He said he wished he could have produced a more convincing performance but was happy he had ‘kept fighting right to the end’. He added that he was proud he had not given up and had played to the finish.

The result ended a farewell that had been planned before the first ball was struck. In its pre-tournament preview, the Japan Open described this as Nishikori's final appearance and identified Tiafoe as the No. 2 seed. Nishikori had said before the event: ‘I want to finish without any regrets.’

How Nishikori's final Japan Open match ended

Tiafoe won both sets 6-4. Japan's Oita Godo Shimbun reported that the first-round singles defeat at Ariake Tennis Forest Park brought Nishikori's last tournament to an end. The score left no further match for Nishikori at the Tokyo event, where he had previously lifted the trophy in 2012 and 2014.

In the video, Djokovic praised Nishikori's resilience and his willingness to return after adversity. He said he was glad Nishikori could end his career in his own country, in front of his own people. Their rivalry included Nishikori's victory over the then world No. 1 in the 2014 US Open semi-finals, the win that took him to his only major singles final.

Nishikori's US Open final and career record

At the 2014 US Open, Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam men's singles final. He defeated Djokovic on the way there before losing the final to Marin Cilic. That run remains the clearest measure of how far he carried Japanese men's tennis at a major, even though a Grand Slam title eluded him.

The ATP Tour records a career-high ranking of No. 4, reached in 2015, and 12 tour singles titles. Nishikori won his first at Delray Beach in 2008, when he was an 18-year-old qualifier. He later became a six-time ATP 500 champion, a four-time Masters 1000 finalist and a four-time qualifier for the season-ending ATP Finals.

His career also included an Olympic singles bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games, secured with a victory over Rafael Nadal, BBC Sport reported. Those results placed his Tokyo farewell in a wider career than his near miss at the US Open: he won across different levels of the men's tour and reached a medal match at the Olympics.

Injuries and the end of his playing career

Nishikori's career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries. The ATP Tour says he underwent hip surgery in February 2022 and missed that season. An ankle injury later that year delayed his comeback by several more months. The injuries are part of his playing history, but Nishikori did not give a single specific medical reason for retiring in the published accounts of his Tokyo farewell.

The final match therefore closed both his latest Japan Open appearance and his professional career. Speaking to the Tokyo crowd, Nishikori focused on having kept competing through the last point. Neither BBC Sport's account of the farewell nor the tournament preview set out a confirmed next role for him after playing, so his plans beyond the court remain open.