Nishikori's Hopes in Hong Kong: Sights Set on Top 50 in 2025

After a positive end to 2024, Kei Nishikori will kick off the new season at the ATP 250 event in Hong Kong. The former world no. 4 from Japan has been drawn against Denis Shapovalov in a blockbuster tie in the first round of the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. Tennis Asia Media was present at his pre-tournament press conference where Kei (on this 35th birthday!) kindly offered his thoughts on his recent comeback from injury and his future hopes.

After a series of injuries and failed comebacks, things started to look much brighter for Nishikori from the summer of 2024. At the Masters 1000 event in Montreal, he went all the way to the quarterfinals, defeating the no. 8 seed and former world no. 3, Stefanos Tstisipas, along the way. He then finished the season on a high by winning an ATP Challenger in Helsinki, winning five consecutive matches to lift the title and reaching as high as no. 105 in the ATP rankings (a year earlier he was ranked outside the top 350).

Nishikori is a player who has achieved so much, finishing runner-up 10 years ago at the US Open where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, and reaching the elite echelons of the sport. So what keeps him going at this stage of his career? "I still have the same passion that I had ten years ago", said Kei, "I still love tennis, I still love competing, playing matches with these guys. And especially something new is that some players I haven’t played yet, like Sinner and Alcaraz, those young guys I haven’t played a match [against] so that’s something I’d like to do this year. If I can raise my level and ranking, I think that’s gonna happen. So that’s something that’s good motivation for me, to play those young talented players."

This is the latest in a series of comebacks from major injuries for the Japanese star, but everything seems to be a bit more positive for him this time around. "Yeah physically I’m doing well finally 'cause the last two years and even this year I was struggling at the beginning of the year. I still have some [issues] here and there but I mean overall it’s not bad and tennis-wise I’m feeling more confident and playing good, and feel like I can play with anybody now, so that’s something that’s very, very positive."

Kei was also feeling good about his pre-season preparations. After spending three weeks training in Japan, where he also won an exhibition event, he trained in the US for 10 days alongside coach Thomas Johansson. He then followed that up with an exhibition event in Macau, where he played and lost to a rising star of Asian tennis, Jerry Shang, who is also competing in Hong Kong. Nishikori had some thoughts to offer on Shang, the Chinese teenager who he has known for a long time from IMG Academy where they have both trained: "We’ve practiced together in IMG, so he’s someone I’ve known since he was small. And he really raised his level the last few years. I’m pretty sure he has everything: good serve, lefty, very good forehand and backhand. He can really play with anybody. I think he can be top 10, if he works hard. Yeah I’m really looking forward to seeing how he’s gonna do next year."

Looking ahead to the new season, Nishikori indicated that he hopes to get off to a good start in Hong Kong, with one eye on the upcoming Australian Open, the first major event of the 2025 season. "I still need to win more matches on the tour, 'cause that’s what I didn’t have last year. I need to gain confidence, to win more matches, and that’s something I need to do this week, to have good preparation for the Australian Open. I think it’s important to do well this week."

And what about further ahead? "I don’t have many goals yet. My goal was top 100 this year, and I did it, so hopefully top 50. I don’t know if I can do top 20, top 10 this year but hopefully in a few years, yes." Whatever the outcome, there will surely be many fans willing him on when he takes to court in Hong Kong, hoping to catch a glimpse of the incredible hitting that propelled him all the way to the elite of the men's game.