Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori, 36, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2026 season, closing the chapter on a career that transformed Japanese tennis. Nishikori reached a career-high world ranking of fourth in 2015, won 12 ATP Tour titles, and in 2014 became the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final, at the US Open; he also claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics by defeating Rafael Nadal. Persistent injuries have taken a heavy toll in recent years, dropping him to 464th in the world rankings, but Nishikori said he was proud to have "given it his all" and vowed to compete fully until the very end.