“Very important player for our sport,” Not Rafael Nadal, but Novak Djokovic ardently wishes for this ATP former top 10 player to be back on tour

Djokovic reflected on the intense spirit and high-stakes battles they had in the Grand Slam finals.


“Very important player for our sport,” Not Rafael Nadal, but Novak Djokovic ardently wishes for this ATP former top 10 player to be back on tour

Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic (Credit: Sky Sports)

Not Rafael Nadal, not Roger Federer, but Kei Nishikori is the player with whom Serbian legend Novak Djokovic wants to play again. In a recent interview with Tennis Majors, Djokovic opened up about his sincere hope for the return of Nishikori, a former top-10 ATP player. 

The Japanese player has faced significant challenges due to injuries, which subsequently led to the end of his career.

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I hope that he’ll come back. We had some thrilling matches, great matches. We played many times in the final stages of Grand Slams.
Said the Serbian.

Djokovic reflected on the intense spirit and high-stakes battles they had in Grand Slam finals, especially the US Open. The Serbian recognized Nishikori’s victory over him in the US Open semifinals in 2014, recalling their great moments on the court.

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He stated how Nishikori is an important player for the sport, coming from Asia and Japan. He praised the Asian’s career, commending how Nishikori was the first Asian player to reach the top 10 and 5 of the ATP Tour.

He’s a great player to watch. I admire his skills, his footwork.
He said.

Djokovic went on to praise the playing style of Nishikori, especially his backhand. 

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Will Kei Nishikori be back in 2024?

A few months ago, in November, Kei Nishikori took to his social media account to talk about his impending comeback. He revealed his continuous challenges with injuries, which led him to withdraw from challenger events. 

Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori (Credit: The Japan Times)

After winning a Challenger tournament in June and reaching the quarterfinals in Atlanta, Nishikori’s comeback appeared to be on track.

Unfortunately, a recurrence of his knee ailment forced him to withdraw from both the Citi Open and the renowned US Open, disappointing fans.

In June, I came back for the first time in a while and played in a few events, started feeling better. Then my knee has started getting worse, and here I am. 
He shared on his social media post.

He acknowledged his supporters’ dismay and apologized to those who had been looking forward to his comeback to competitive activity.

He described his continuous fight with his body and the agonizing decision to withdraw from the Challenger competitions.

Nishikori expressed the emotional toll of fighting his own body as well as the disappointment of being unable to compete in the Japan Open and Challenger competitions in Japan.

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