At the 2023 Zhuhai Championships, Yoshihito Nishioka came in second place after Karen Khachanov defeated him in the final. He faced some difficulty as he approached the podium to make a speech during the trophy presentation ceremony.
Nishioka faced top seed Khachanov in his first ATP Tour final of the year, who was attempting to win his first championship since 2018. Despite an admirable effort from the Japanese player in the opening set, the Russian eventually won the match in a tiebreaker.
Afterward, when both players were prepared to accept awards while giving speeches, hilarious scenes happened. The mic was too high for Nishioka with a height of 5’5″. Therefore his speech got interrupted.
He said after the mic was adjusted: “The mic is too high for me.” Â
After the microphone was set, Nishioka complimented Khachanov and said he had no regrets following a fantastic week and final in which he gave it his all.
Shoutout To All The Short Kings Out There! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ILUJbvWpj5
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 26, 2023
Yoshihito Nishioka in 2023
Currently ranked no.38, Nishioka played his last encounter on the 26th of September when he was defeated by world no.14 Karen Khachanov 7-6(2) 6-1 in the final in Zhuhai (draw).
During this season Yoshihito has managed to achieve a compiled 18-18 record. Yoshihito Nishioka’s latest run in Zhuhai was the best achievement of his season.
He is also scheduled to play in Tokyo (Rakuten Japan Open). The main draw will start on the 16th of October.