In the YouTube video ” Kei Nishikori On Returning Home To Tokyo, Facing Cilic & Local Support ,” Nishikori reflects on the importance of competing in the Japan Open and the strong connection he shares with his Japanese fans. He notes that it’s been some time since his last participation in the tournament and that the fans’ encouragement consistently fuels his drive.
Playing in Japan also evokes pleasant recollections of his previous victories in the event. The upcoming match against Marin Cilic in the draw resurfaces memories of their US Open final encounter in 2014. Regardless of the challenging competition, Nishikori aspires to advance far in the tournament and cherishes the opportunity to engage with his fans during practice sessions.
Kei Nishikori in 2024
Currently ranked no.
200, the Japanese played his last match on the 19th of September when he was overcome by world no.55 Juncheng Shang 6-4 6-4 in the 1st round in Chengdu (draw).This season Nishikori achieved a compiled 9-7 win-loss record.
Kei Nishikori will square off with the world no.373 Marin Cilic in the 1st round on Thursday at 6:00 pm on COLOSSEUM. Their actual head to head record is 9-6 for Nishikori.
Nishikori won 12 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 5 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters). The main draw will start on the 2nd of October.