Kei Nishikori marked his Hong Kong Open debut with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Denis Shapovalov, showcasing his determination to regain his position among tennis’s elite. Following the win, Nishikori expressed excitement about facing the new generation of stars, specifically Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“There are young players like Sinner and Alcaraz that I have never faced. I would like to challenge them in 2025,” Nishikori told the ATP website. He added that the prospect of competing against these rising talents fuels his motivation, especially after ending 2024 on a high note by winning a Challenger title in Helsinki.
The 2024 season marked Nishikori’s strong return to the Tour following a lengthy injury hiatus. His highlights included a quarterfinal run at the Canadian Open, a Masters 1000 event. Reflecting on his year, the former US Open finalist noted, “I finished 2024 pretty good. Not the best that I wanted, but still I finished well, especially winning the Challenger in the last tournament of the year.”
Looking forward, Nishikori remains driven by his enduring love for the game. “I still have the same passion that I had 10 years ago. I still love tennis, I still love competing,” he said. Confident in his physical condition and tennis skills, the Japanese star aims to re-enter the top 50, with aspirations to climb even higher in the rankings in the coming years.
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As Nishikori eyes 2025, his focus on new challenges and rekindled passion sets the stage for an exciting chapter in his career.
Nishikori in Hong Kong, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.106, Kei has achieved a compiled 4-0 match record in 2025. Kei is playing at the moment in Hong Kong where he overcame Denis Shapovalov 6-2 6-3, Karen Khachanov 4-6 6-3 7-5, Cameron Norrie 6-3 3-6 6-2 and Juncheng Shang 4-3 ret..
Kei Nishikori will compete against Alexandre Muller in the final. In the past, they have never competed against each other so far on the main tour.
The Japanese 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)
Jannik Sinner in 2025
WWWWWWWWWW Currently ranked no.1, Jannik played his last match on the 24th of November 2024 when he overcame Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2) 6-2 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).
This season the Italian has achieved a composed 73-6 win-loss record.
Kei Nishikori and Jannik Sinner have never played each other.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
WLWLLWLWWW Currently the world no.3, Carlos played his last match on the 19th of November 2024 when he beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(0) 6-3 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).
This year Alcaraz has a 54-13 record.
Kei Nishikori, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz |
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