Kei Nishikori opens up on challenging year, health setbacks



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Kei Nishikori opens up on challenging year, health setbacks

Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori has opened up about his challenging year as he admits he may not even play at all this season. After failing to recover in time for the 2022 season, 32-year-old Nishikori underwent hip surgery in January.

Nishikori's initial target was to return during the summer, at the start of the North American hard court swing. The North American swing came and went but Nishikori hasn't yet played in 2022. "I spend frustrating days. When I was recovering from a hip injury, I had pain in other parts of the body such as my shoulder due to favoring my hip, things like this are ongoing," Nishikori said, per Tennis365.

Nishikori: I may not even play in 2022

"I want to be back as soon as possible. I have entered into some Challengers in October and November, but I'm still uncertain, I may not be able to play at all this year. I'm trying to find a way.

These days I often feel frustrated and mentally get tired, so I try to restrain my impatience and relax myself," Nishikori explained.

Last week, Nishikori was announced as a wildcard recipient into the Challengers events in Calgary and Drummondville.

The Calgary Challenger kicks off November 7, while Drummondville is starting on November 14. “We’re thrilled to have Kei at our tournaments,” the tournaments said in a joint statement. “He’s been one of the most prolific players on the Tour since the start of his career, and even though he’s coming back from a major injury, he remains a very talented player.

We’re looking forward to seeing him play again in Canada, and there’s no doubt our fans will be, too”. Nishikori was scheduled to compete next week but he pulled out of the Fairfield Challenger. Next on Nishikori's schedule is the Las Vegas Challenger, which kicks off on October 24.

Kei Nishikori