Kei Nishikori: Clay Court Season Winds Down, Grass Ahead

Japan’s top player, 35-year-old Nishikori, has had a challenging clay court season. After his early exit from the Geneva Open due to back pain, he missed the French Open and the Czech Open. “It’s been tough,” Nishikori admitted, “but I’m looking forward to switching to grass.”

Nishikori will begin his grass season at the Mallorca Championships on June 22, followed by the prestigious Wimbledon Championships starting on June 30.

Yoshihito Nishioka: Consistent Despite Early French Open Exit

Nishioka, 29, also faced setbacks this season but managed to maintain his position in the top 80. After an early exit at the French Open, the Japanese No. 2 قوةnounced his withdrawal against 25th seed Alexei Popyrin.

“Obviously, it was disappointing to lose early in Paris,” Nishioka said, “but I’m focused on improving and climbing back up the rankings.”

Top 10 Japanese Players in ATP Rankings

• 66th – Kei Nishikori, 903 points (↓8 from 953)
• 78th – Yoshihito Nishioka, 787 points (↓1 from 794)
• 153rd – Taro Daniel, 387 points (↓5 from 397)
• 178th – Shintaro Mochizuki, 314 points (↓23 from 370)
• 179th – Yosuke Wanink, 312 points (↑4 from 299)
• 192nd – Masaru Shimabukuro, 284 points (↓3 from 292)
• 200th – Yasutaka Uchiyama, 269 points (↑4 from 272)
• 202nd – James Duckworth, 266 points (↓28 from 325)
• 218th – Yuta Shimizu, 253 points (↓27 from 291)
• 219th – Rio Noguchi, 251 points (↑27 from 228)

“Nishikori, 35, returned to the Geneva Open last month (Switzerland, Geneva, Red Clay, ATP250)… After missing the French Open and the Czech Open… Nishikori will now transition to the grass court season…”

Looking Ahead: Nishikori’s Wimbledon Hopes

Nishikori, a US Open finalist in 2014, has high hopes for the upcoming grass season. “I’ve always had good results on grass,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Wimbledon and hope to make a deep run.”