Kei Nishikori Pens down an Emotional Apology After Being Caught Cheating on His Wife with a 32-Year-Old Model

According to reports, Kei Nishikori cheated on his wife for over two and a half years, during which time his wife welcomed two children for him.

Kei Nishikori Pens down an Emotional Apology After Being Caught Cheating on His Wife with a 32-Year-Old Model

Kei Nishikori, with model Oguchi Azuki (L), and his wife Mai Yamaguchi (via X/Kei Nishikori/Olly Tennis)

Former World No.4 Kei Nishikori has issued an emotional apology to his wife after being caught cheating on her with a 32-year-old model. The Japanese star is the only man from his country to have ranked in the top 5 in singles in the Open Era, reaching his only Grand Slam final at the 2014 US Open.

Nishikori married his wife, Mai Yamaguchi, who is also known by her nickname Ako Mizuki in Japan, in 2020. They began dating in 2015 and welcomed their first child in May 2021 and their second child in 2024. However, according to Japanese outlet Shukan Bunshun, the tennis player was having an affair with model Oguchi Azuki for over two and a half years.

It is reported that the affair began in 2022 after Nishikori met Azuki on a tour in Honolulu, Hawaii. The following year, Azuki’s boyfriend then found out about their affair and presented multiple pieces of evidence to Nishikori. The Japanese star didn’t want to escalate the situation, so he negotiated a deal with him, while Azuki’s boyfriend deleted the evidence.

Azuki then broke up with her boyfriend and also ended her affair with Nishikori. Nonetheless, they were unable to break off, as Nishikori was spotted secretly meeting with her since last year. The 35-year-old continued with the affair without divorcing his wife and on June 11, 2025, he was photographed leaving Azuki’s apartment in the night.

Nishikori penned down an emotional apology through his management company to his wife and sponsors. The 35-year-old added that he was sorry for how he made his parents and children feel about his actions:

I deeply apologize for causing discomfort to everyone who supports me; tennis fans, tennis associations, sponsors, and other related parties, and for their concern and inconvenience due to my dishonest behavior. In addition, I deeply regret that I made my wife, children, and each parent feel hurt. From now on, to fulfill my life as a responsible member of society, I will solely focus on tennis competitions and produce results. We will do our best to regain your trust.

Nishikori has not competed on the court since retiring from his second-round match due to injury against Karen Khachanov at the Geneva Open. The 35-year-old has enjoyed a great stint since his return to professional tennis last year, but with the current state of things he might take time off from the court.

Kei Nishikori’s struggles with injuries continue to cause setbacks

Kei Nishikori has battled with several injuries in his career, but will never forget the chance he had to win his first Masters 1000 title in 2014. He had beaten top 5 stars like Milos Raonic and David Ferrer en route to his first Masters final at the Madrid Open, but a combination of injury and Rafael Nadal’s dominance halted his dream run in the championship match.

Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori (via Tennis World Italia)

Since 2021, the Japanese star’s career has been marked by a string of setbacks. The former US Open finalist has faced a grueling list of injuries, undergoing hip surgery in 2022. After that, he contended with a left knee issue in 2023, and in recent months, a groin injury followed, and he has continued to manage an ongoing shoulder pain.

Ahead of the French Open, he withdrew from the tournament due to lower back pain that troubled him at the Geneva Open. A few days ago, he announced that he would not compete at the Wimbledon Championship, which is mind-blowing considering the quality of tennis he showed on the court last year.

In fact, he reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-finals in five years in Montreal last year and backed it up with another quarter-final run at the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo. His success on the court earned him a nomination for the 2024 ATP Comeback Player of the Year.

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