ATP Tour

Nishikori withdraws from US Open, announces split with coach Johansson

Kei Nishikori has withdrawn from the US Open, the former No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings announced on Wednesday.

“Hi fans, unfortunately I will not be ready for the US Open yet. I had an MRI taken of my back and it’s not 100 per cent healed yet,” the 35-year-old wrote on X. “Working hard to be back on court soon. Thanks for the support.”

Nishikori, who reached the US Open final in 2014 before falling to Marin Cilic, also revealed that he has ended his partnership with coach Thomas Johansson. The former Australian Open champion joined Nishikori’s team in 2024 and played a key role in his comeback season.

The Japanese star has battled a series of injuries in recent years, including hip surgery in 2022 that kept him off the ATP Tour for 21 months between 2021 and 2023. His return alongside Johansson was recognised last year when he was nominated for the ATP Comeback Player of the Year award.

“Just wanted to let you know that Kei and I have decided to go separate ways,” Johansson wrote on Instagram. “It’s been a pleasure to work with such a professional team and with such a nice and talented player like Kei. I want to wish Kei and his team [the] best of luck for the future.”

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This season, Nishikori retired from his second-round clash with Karen Khachanov in Geneva and later withdrew from Roland Garros before returning in Cincinnati with an opening-round loss. However, he has yet to recover from his back injury and is not ready to make his first appearance at the US Open since 2021.

Nishikori owns a 10-10 tour-level record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.