Kei Nishikori is aiming for the US Open again
Currently, Japan's exceptional player Kei Nishikori is once again out of action with an injury. A return to the tour could succeed at the US Open at the end of August 2022.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Apr 17, 2022, 11:16 am
In Barcelona, the competition started with the qualifying games on Saturday, but in addition to the record winner Rafael Nadal , another ex-champion will be missing in the main draw this year: Kei Nishikori, who triumphed in the Catalan capital in 2014 and 2015. Incidentally, the only two titles on clay out of a total of twelve for the Japanese.
Nishikori is currently in the midst of recovery after hip surgery, the next health setback the now 32-year-old has suffered in his career. In 2017 he already had an operation on his wrist, two years later it was his elbow. Nishikori is currently ranked 56th on the ATP charts. But this is also related to the now very strange rules in the ranking due to the corona pandemic. Nishikori still has 90 points for reaching the semi-finals in Barcelona 2019 in his balance sheet.
Nishikori plans with Tokyo
The European clay has never been an option for Kei Nishikori this season, he told Eurosport, but the US Open, where he lost the final to Marin Cilic in 2014, could be the tournament where he launches an attack again. With a view to his home tournament, the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Tokyo. There, too, Nishikori has twice won, in 2012 and 2014.
But one thing is clear to the new father: There won't be many more attempts to return to the top tier of tennis. That's why he wants to fully enjoy every day on the tour after his return. Whether the start in Tokyo will work out also depends on factors other than Nishikori's health. Because the Asian swing of the tennis circuit has by no means been confirmed for this season.