Kei Nishikori Announces Unfortunate News Ahead of Australian Open 2022

Injuries have plagued Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori over the years. The 2014 US Open finalist made a comeback this year on the ATP tour but couldn’t play consistent tennis and ended his season with a back injury.

Kei Nishikori pulls out of the ATP 250 warm-up event in Melbourne

Nishikori mentioned his intentions to make it to Australia and play a warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open. Now, it appears as if Kei might have pulled out of the ATP 250 event in Melbourne.

Joining Nishikori in withdrawing from the tournament is Alexander Bublik. While the news is not yet confirmed by either of the players, it remains to be seen whether both of them will play the ‘happy slam’.

Looking at Nishikori, the former world no.4 displayed his consistency by reaching the quarter-finals at Rotterdam and Dubai. He also reached the semis at the Citi Open, where he was defeated by the rising American tennis player, Mackenzie McDonald.

Consistent appearances on tour this year is a positive for Nishikori going into 2022

Recently, the Japanese player was captured alongside compatriots as they had a training session. Taro Daniel, a fellow athlete posted a picture on his Instagram page and gave an update over the journey to Australia

“End to an amazing off season. Off to Australia in a couple of days. Grateful for the whole team that is always there to support. Happy holidays to everyone!”

It’s evident that Taro Daniel will be flying to Australia soon. Circling back to Nishikori, his last event of the season was at Indian Wells, where he was defeated by the British player Dan Evans. Post the conclusion of the event, Nishikori decided to end his season due to a back injury.

During the course of his career that lasts more than a decade, the Japanese star has always faced problems with his body and successfully overcame them all. If there is a positive aspect that Kei Nishikori can take away from this year, it’s his consistent performances throughout the season.

With this ATP 250 tournament exit, Kei Nishikori is yet to announce his status on the Australian Open next January.

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