Kei Nishikori suddenly announces his final career tournament! A glorious 19-year career comes to an end.

After years of striving to regain competitiveness, the 36-year-old Nishikori now faces the harsh reality—incessant injuries have ultimately forced him to retire, unable to return to his former peak heights. Having been absent from the circuit for months, his ranking has plummeted to 417th. Now, with a heavy heart, he prepares to bid farewell to the sport that "shaped his soul."

According to the Herald Tribune, Nishikori will play his final career match next week at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open on clay in Sarasota, Florida, concluding a journey that began when he turned professional in 2007. Last year, he fought back into the top 100, proving his determination to return to the elite. However, recurring injuries once again disrupted his progress, abruptly halting his resurgence.

Injury issues have plagued his entire career and also ended his most recent comeback attempt. His body could no longer keep up with his ambition. Yet Nishikori leaves behind a brilliant legacy; one of his most significant achievements was reaching a Grand Slam final—the 2014 US Open final, where he lost to Marin Čilić. Despite the defeat, that remained a defining moment of his career, placing him among the top players of his generation.

His Grand Slam record is equally impressive: 29 wins and 8 losses in five-set matches, with a winning rate of 78.4%. This Sarasota Open will be held from April 5 to 12, 2026 at the IMG Academy, featuring modern facilities and a high-level event format.

Nishikori has a history with this tournament: he won the title here in 2010. His return makes this edition particularly meaningful, and the event organizers commented on the Japanese star: "This will be a significant occasion."

Nishikori is the only Japanese player in the Open Era to reach the top five in singles, achieving a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 2015. He captured 12 ATP Tour titles and was runner-up at the 2014 US Open.

Past champions of the Sarasota event include Frances Tiafoe, Nick Kyrgios, Sam Querrey, James Blake, among others. This year's entry list features Cristian Garín, Jan Švancer, Shintaro Hiragata, Adam Damm, Jordan Smith, etc. Ticket prices: General stand single-day tickets $15 to $75, weekly pass $300; VIP experience single-day $95 to $195, weekly pass $1088; children aged 5 and under enter free.

Before this official farewell, Nishikori had actually begun accepting retirement reality last year, when injuries started causing permanent effects. After suffering severe hip, ankle, and shoulder injuries over recent years, Nishikori still started the 2025 season on schedule and had a promising start—finishing as runner-up at the Hong Kong ATP 250, seemingly indicating a potential return to top form.

Over the next two to three months, he continued competing, showing stable form and firm determination, but setbacks soon struck again; he suffered a back injury and had to withdraw from Roland-Garros. Missing a Grand Slam hit him hard, again disrupting his recovery rhythm. After consecutive absences from Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, he attempted a comeback early August at the Cincinnati Masters, but the results were not ideal.

Nishikori lost in the first round to Flavio Cobolli, but the defeat wasn't the most critical issue; he realized his back still couldn't withstand the intensity of top-level tournaments, forcing him to withdraw from the US Open again. Amid continuous setbacks, this was another tough decision. His body repeatedly limited his aspirations. In late November, he made another comeback at the Yokohama Challenger as a trial event, winning two matches before falling in the quarterfinals.

And that Cincinnati tournament might have been the turning point. "Last year was the first time I seriously considered retirement. After Cincinnati this year, I thought about it very seriously. Over the past three years, I've gone through countless cycles of injury and comeback, and had to face reality: I might struggle for another year to regain my former tennis level," the 36-year-old veteran said in an interview with Japanese media last year.

"But I ultimately decided to persist… partly due to my pride and stubbornness. I also always felt that, with my talent, it shouldn't end like this. Retiring due to injury is the worst ending for any athlete; I didn't want to say goodbye to tennis that way."

Now, Nishikori, like veterans Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfils, is approaching the end of his career; they are currently preparing for the Monte Carlo Masters. As "Special Kei" prepares to turn away, all he leaves for fans is a heartfelt sentiment: Farewell, legend!Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark