Kei Nishikori

Asian nations have not enjoyed a lot of success in tennis over the years, with the likes of Spain, France, Argentina, USA, Serbia, Russia, Germany, Switzerland dominating. However, the 2014 edition of the US Open witnessed something different, as Kei Nishikori became the first male player from an Asian country to reach the singles final of a Grand Slam. Nishikori started off as the underdog, taking on the likes of Wayne Odesnik, Pablo Andújar, Leonardo Mayer who were expected to get the better of him. However, the Japanese showcased his true potential, getting the better of his opponents. The next clash against world No. 6 Milos Raonic threatened to mark the end of the campaign, considering the prowess of the Canadian. It certainly witnessed its fair share of excitement, with the marathon five-set match involving a lot of twists and turns. However, Nishikori managed to live to fight another day.

The next encounter was against Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, against whom the Japanese enjoyed a poor record. None of it mattered on the day as Nishikori rode his luck to surge into the semi-finals. While reaching the final was just one win away, the man at the other end was Novak Djokovic. The Serbian was ranked world No. 1 at that point, which indicates how stern the challenge was. Nishikori had been simply sensational till that point, and outdid his previous efforts during the course of the encounter, defeating Djokovic who was left stunned. While the Japanese suffered a defeat in the final, his performances ensured that the player would go down in history for the historic feat he had achieved.

Nishikori has won 12 singles career titles so far, with 2014 marking his most successful season so far. The Japanese tennis star won four tournaments in the year (Tokyo (Outdoor/Hard), Kuala Lumpur (Indoor/Hard), Barcelona (Outdoor/Clay), Memphis (Indoor/Hard)). Nishikori showcased his prowess for the nation in the 2016 Rio Olympics, proving his capabilities against none other than Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The Japanese defeated Nadal in the bronze medal encounter, to help Japan win its first tennis medal in the Olympics in 96 years.

Nishikori enjoys great mental strength, as evident from the fact that he enjoys the highest winning percentage among active players in 5th sets. He further boasts of the second highest winning percentage in deciding sets behind Djokovic. The Japanese athlete can generate a lot of pace on his flat backhand which makes him a threat for the opposition. Nishikori is further very solid and consistent with his shots on both wings, pushing the opponents around with excellent groundstrokes before following it up with a winner.

The Japanese has matured a lot over the years, which has helped mould his mindset into a positive one even when the odds are against him.

“Having gone through all sorts of experiences, I feel I’ve become stronger than before. I think I have acquired mental maturity and composure. You never know until the end whether chances will come up. Even if your opponent is playing at 150 per cent, the flow of the game can change. When things are beyond your control, which may often be the case, you just have to wait patiently for your chances to come around. Even when I’m in a difficult phase or not playing well, I stay positive, believing that my chance will come along eventually,” he said in an interaction with olympics.com.

Grand Slam singles record:

Australian Open: QF (2012, 2015, 2016, 2019)

French Open: QF (2015, 2017, 2019)

Wimbledon: QF (2018, 2019)

US Open: F (2014)