Carlos Alcaraz Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Childhood Idol Kei Nishikori: “Japan is Lucky to Have a Player Like Him”

Carlos Alcaraz was scheduled to lock horns with Kei Nishikori at the French Open, but the latter withdrew from the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Childhood Idol Kei Nishikori: “Japan is Lucky to Have a Player Like Him”

Kei Nishikori, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Olly Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

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Japanese player Kei Nishikori hasn’t played a match since his first-round defeat to Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the Cincinnati Masters. Later, he withdrew from the US Open because of injury problems, and as a result, he also won’t be in action at the Japan Open.

This means Carlos Alcaraz won’t have a chance to face the local player. Alcaraz, during the pre-tournament press conference, shared some kind words for the former World No.4 as he was one of the players the Spaniard grew up watching.

I love Kei Nishikori. I grew up watching him play: his style, the way he moves, the way he hits the ball. For me, it was impressive to see him beat the best players in the world, win the most beautiful trophies on the tour, and reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

Alcaraz was scheduled to face Nishikori in the first round of this year’s French Open, which he later won by defeating arch-rival Jannik Sinner. Nishikori withdrew from the tournament, and in his place, Alcaraz played Giulio Zeppieri.

He was a player I really enjoyed watching play, so for me, it has been an honor. I never had the chance to play against him, but it was an honor to see him perform at his best level. Japan was lucky to have a player like Kei Nishikori.

Carlos Alcaraz added

Nishikori last won a title at the 2019 Brisbane International by beating former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev. This year, he reached the Hong Kong Open final but couldn’t go past Alexandre Muller.

Nishikori is the 2014 US Open finalist- he reached the championship clash after going past Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. But he couldn’t end the final in his favor, losing it to Roger Federer-conqueror Marin Cilic. He was one of the few players to secure multiple wins against Federer, Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.

Carlos Alcaraz is keen on learning about Japanese culture

Carlos Alcaraz will be playing the Japan Open for the first time in his career. He will be up against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez on Thursday (September 25) to kick-start his campaign. Ahead of the tournament, Alcaraz dressed in the traditional samurai outfit, and during the pre-tournament press conference, the six-time Grand Slam champion expressed his wish to learn more about Japanese culture.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

I’m very interested in learning about the Japanese culture, visiting some of the city, and inscribing my name on the tournament’s honor roll, alongside legends like the Big 3 and Murray. The Japanese have welcomed me wonderfully; they are very kind people.

Alcaraz is bidding to win his eighth title of the season. So far this season, he has claimed two ATP 500 trophies, at the Rotterdam Open and the Queen’s Club Championships.

Because he is in Tokyo, he has skipped the China Open, which he clinched last year by beating Jannik Sinner to clinch his first title on the Asian swing. Sinner will be in action on September 25 and will aim to win the China Open title for the second time.

Alcaraz won’t have the chance to meet Sinner before the Shanghai Masters, where the four-time Grand Slam champion will play as the defending champion. Before arriving in Tokyo, Alcaraz was in San Francisco for the Laver Cup, which Team Europe lost 15-9 against Team World.

Alcaraz doesn’t have many points to defend for the rest of the season, and this means he has a good chance of increasing the rankings gap. The World No.1 is currently 760 points ahead of second-ranked Sinner, whom he dethroned from the top after winning the US Open.

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