Kei Nishikori graded his own career at "about 50 points" out of 100 at his retirement press conference in Tokyo on October 11, 2026, saying the lack of a Grand Slam title still weighs on him even as he described the freedom of life after professional tennis.
The solo news conference followed "Uniqlo LifeWear Day Tokyo 2026 with Kei Nishikori" at Ariake Coliseum, a farewell event that brought Roger Federer and wheelchair tennis greats Shingo Kunieda and Gordon Reid to Tokyo. Nishikori, 36, played the final match of his professional career at the Japan Open earlier this month.
Nishikori Aimed Far Higher Than Asian Supremacy
Asked to assess what he had achieved as Asia's leading men's player, Nishikori hesitated. "I don't really want to say it, but I'd like to say about 50 points," he said.
He explained that he had grown up with his eyes on the very top of the world game, so becoming the best in Japan or in Asia had never been the goal. "I wanted to be world No. 1 or win a Grand Slam, or at least win two Masters titles," he said. "No matter what, regret still remains inside me."
Nishikori reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 and was runner-up at the 2014 US Open, the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, but never won one of the four majors or a Masters 1000 event.
Even so, he called a life devoted to tennis "truly happy," adding that his long, grinding rehabilitation from repeated injuries had helped him grow as a person.
A Debt To Masaaki Morita That Began At Age 13
Nishikori said his deepest regret was tied to Masaaki Morita, chairman of the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund, which made it possible for him to move to the United States at 13. Born and raised in Shimane Prefecture, Nishikori said he had needed to leave home to get stronger, and Morita gave him that chance.
"If I have one regret, it's that I always wished I could have shown the chairman a Grand Slam winner's trophy or some other big trophies," he said.
When Nishikori told Morita he was retiring, Morita replied: "What you have done is more than enough, so you don't need to think that way." Nishikori said he was deeply grateful for those words.
Uniqlo Recalls Urging A Young Nishikori To Eat More
Before Nishikori took questions, Koji Yanai, a director and group senior executive officer at Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing, took the stage. The company has sponsored Nishikori for more than 15 years.
Yanai recalled first meeting Nishikori in 2010 at a Japanese restaurant in Paris, where Fast Retailing Chairman, President, and CEO Tadashi Yanai was also at the table. Nishikori ate very little back then, and he was told: "If you're going to compete on the world stage, eat more."
Yanai thanked Nishikori for embodying the spirit of taking on the world from Japan, and for the warmth he brought to those around him off the court.
Retirement Brings Relief From Pain And Doping Rules
Nishikori said that a week on from his retirement, and after a special day with Federer and Kunieda, "the reality of retirement has sunk in more, and I'm greeting this moment with a clear, refreshed feeling." He described a mix of sadness at leaving competition behind and excitement about an unknown future.
"I really have no plans at all," he said. He shared that on his second day of retirement, he ordered a second helping of rice and two desserts at a restaurant, small pleasures that a life devoted to the sport 24 hours a day had never allowed.
"Mentally, I feel incredibly liberated," he said. During his career, even a minor ache meant stress about the next day's match or a recurring injury. With the Japan Open behind him, he said, "even if something hurts, I can think it's totally fine because there are no matches ahead, and that makes things so much easier."
He also pointed to the end of anti-doping restrictions. "When I was playing, even if I caught a cold I couldn't buy medicine at a pharmacy and always had to go to a hospital," he said. "Being able to buy any medicine at a drugstore, life is going to get a lot easier."
Nishikori Tells Young Japanese Players To Go Abroad
On the future of Japanese men's tennis, Nishikori pointed bluntly to the gap in training environments between Asia and the sport's centers in Europe and North America, stressing the value of practicing with foreign players and building mental toughness overseas.
"It's very difficult to grow while staying in Asia. The quickest way is to go abroad," he said. "It costs money and not everyone can do it, but I'd like to help in some way."
For Japan's juniors, many of whom he said are technically gifted, he urged sheer volume of work. "When you're young, quality matters too, but you can't become strong unless you really practice a lot," he said. "Pushing yourself and piling up the maximum effort is essential."
Nishikori Jokes About Meeting Prime Minister Takaichi
The mood lightened when Nishikori was asked whom he most wanted to meet now that he had retired. After a pause and a sheepish grin, he answered: "Someone I want to meet... Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, maybe (laughs). What should I do if this gets aired on TV?" The room erupted in laughter.
Nishikori Looks To Rei Sakamoto And A New Generation
Closing the press conference, Nishikori thanked fans, saying that pushing tennis into Japan's national conversation and feeling the public's support had been his greatest source of strength.
"I have fought carrying Japan together with Naomi Osaka, but a new generation is coming through, like Rei Sakamoto," he said, referring to the Japanese player who won the boys' singles title at the 2024 Australian Open. "I want to contribute in some way so that, as in Europe and America, the social value of sport as a whole can rise even further in Japan."
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