Kei Nishikori played his final match as a professional tennis player on October 1, 2026, at the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo. He faced Frances Tiafoe, the second seed and world number eight, and lost in two sets, 6-4, 6-4, after one hour and 14 minutes of play. The 36-year-old Japanese player had announced earlier in the year that he would retire in 2026 and chose Tokyo for his final appearance on the ATP circuit. Nishikori had a special connection with Tokyo, having won the tournament twice, in 2012 and 2014, and had a record of 24 wins and nine losses in the event before this final appearance. His 2014 victory remains the most significant, coming shortly after he reached the US Open final, where he became the first Asian player to reach a Grand Slam final in men's singles. He was eventually defeated by Marin Cilic in the US Open final. Nishikori's career will mainly be associated with his incredible 2014 season, which included reaching a career-high ranking of world number four in March 2015. His achievements include 12 ATP titles, 451 career wins, four participations in the year-end Masters, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Injuries have regularly hindered his progress, especially in recent years, but they did not erase his impact on Japanese and Asian tennis. According to one report, Nishikori was defeated in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo with a score of 4-6, 4-6. However, other reports state that the match score was 6-4, 6-4. After the match, Nishikori expressed a "feeling of loss" and was emotional, with his eyes filled with tears. The Japanese public stood up to give a long ovation to the player who had raised Japanese tennis to its highest level for almost twenty years. The result became almost secondary once the handshake was completed. Tiafoe will continue his tournament against Arthur Fils, who qualified on Wednesday after his victory against Luca Van Assche. After nearly twenty years on the professional circuit, the Japanese player leaves the circuit in the city where he had lifted two of the most symbolic trophies of his career.