Kei Nishikori Biography Facts, Childhood, Net Worth, Life

Kei Nishikori Biography Facts, Childhood, Net Worth, Life
Kei Nishikori – Biography, Childhood, Career, Accomplishments & Awards. (Photo credit: usopen.org)

Kei Nishikori is a Japanese tennis player who has dominated tennis in Japan for years and his unarguably one of the best Asian tennis stars. In a time where competition in the tennis world is getting intense, Kei Nishikori who has seen his attempt to secure a Grand slam title to his name, foiled on several occasions, has continued to put up a great performance in recent years. He has thus emerged as one of the several competitors who pose a significant threat to many of the big names in the world of tennis. In this Kei Nishikori Biography Facts, Childhood, Personal Life, Career and Net Worth, we consider one of tennis top stars.

Kei Nishikori Biography Facts, Age, Nickname, Family, Wife, Team, Zodiac

Full Name: Novak Djokovic
Nicknames: Special Kei
Date of Birth: 29 December 1989
Age: 34 years old
Place of Birth: Matsue, Shimane, Japan
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Nationality: Japanese
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 163 Ibs (74 kg)
Education: Kaisei Junior High School, Aomori-Yamada High School
Father: Kiyoshi Nishikori
Mother: Eri Nishikori
Siblings: Reina Nishikori (sister)
Marital Status: Single
Partner: Honami Tsuboi (girlfriend)
Net Worth: $24 million
Occupation: Tennis Player
Turned Pro: 2007

Kei Nishikori Childhood Story and Early Life

Kei Nishikori is the second of two children born to his father Kiyoshi Nishikori, who worked as an engineer, and mother Eri Nishikori, a piano teacher. Kei Nishikori was raised in Matsue. As young as the age of five, Nishikori had already begun playing tennis. His skill progressed as he went on to emerge champion in the All Japan Tennis Championships for Kids held in 2001. After graduating high school, at the age of 13, Nishikori was one of the several talented children in Japan, who were sponsored to the famous IMG Academy in Florida, United States, by a former CEO of Sony. At IMG, 14 years old Nishikori went on to improve his tennis skill in one of the most equipped facilities and most competitive training environment.

Kei Nishikori Junior Career

As young as 15, Nishikori had already begun competing in junior tournaments. He won the 2004 Riad 21 Tournament held in Morocco. At age of 17, Nishikori competed in the Junior French Open, where he lost out in the quarterfinal. He also played in the ITF Futures event, which he won. He and Emiliano Massa went on to win the doubles at the tournament. In 2007, Nishikori played in the Luxilon Cup, which he won. 

Kei Nishikori Pro Career and Highlights

In 2007, Nishikori who was 18, turned pro. After he lost out in the final of two USTA Pro Circuit events, Nishikori partnered with Gustavo Kuerten, for the Sony Ericsson Open, where they lost in the first round. He went to play in the Indianapolis Tennis Championships and became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinal of the tournament since 1985. He eventually lost in the quarterfinal. Nishikori proceeded to the China Open, where he was eliminated in the first round. Following his elimination in the China Open, he went on to compete in the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championship held in Tokyo where he was eliminated in the first round. He ended his first year of professional tennis, by playing in the Asian Hopman Cup. 

He began the 2008 season in styles. Nishikori who was a semifinalist at the Miami challenger, went on to compete in the Delray Beach tournament, which he won, and became the first Japanese player to claim an ATP event in 16 years. After losing out in the third round of the Queen’s Club Championship to Rafael Nadal, Nishikori went on to compete in the Wimbledon, marking his first time competing in a Grand slam event. After suffering from a muscle strain in his abdomen, Nishikori had to retire in the first round. 

He went on to play in the Beijing Olympics but was defeated in the first round. At the US Open Nishikori played well but was defeated in the round of 16. He finished his 2008 season by emerging as a finalist in the Stockholm Open. Despite starting the 2009 season by losing in the first round of the Australian Open, Nishikori was awarded the ATP Newcomer of the Year for 2008, making him the first Japanese player to be awarded the title. As a result of injury, Nishikori withdrew from the several Grand Slam events in 2009.

After returning from injury, Nishikori played in the Delray Beach but was defeated in the first round. He went on to compete in the Savannah Challenger and Sarasota Open which he won. He played in the 2010 French Open but lost to Novak Djokovic in the second round. At the Wimbledon, he lost to Nadal in the first round. In the US Open, he successfully made it to the third round. 

In the 2011 Australian Open, after he made it to the third round, Nishikori ranking increased to #70. He had a very unsuccessful season as he lost in the first round of several events including the Indian Wells, the Wimbledon and the US Open. After reaching the semifinal of the Shanghai Masters, Nishikori’s ranking rose to #30. He went on to defeat Novak Djokovic in the semifinal of the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament, and his ranking rose to #24. 

He began his 2012 campaign by playing in the Brisbane International where he was eliminated in the first round. He went on to make history in the Australian Open, where he became the first Japanese player to make it to the quarter-final in 80 years. Nishikori also lost out in the quarterfinal of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships and the London 2012 summer Olympics. After winning the ATP 500 series, he went on to claim the Japan Open, to become the first Japanese player to claim the title in 41 years. His ranking thus shot up to #15. 

In 2013, Nishikori made it to the semifinals of the Brisbane International, before winning the U.S. National Indoor Championship. He ended the year by losing in the first round of the US Open. In 2014, Nishikori made Michael Chang his coach and went on to the fourth round of the Australian Open, he also won his second consecutive the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships. After he withdrew from the quarterfinal of Japan’s Davis Cup, he went on to win the Barcelona Open. He made it to the final of the Madrid Open but lost to Rafael Nadal

As a result of his win, his ranking rise to #9. Following his fourth-round elimination at the Wimbledon, Nishikori made it to the final of the 2014 US Open. Though he lost in the final, his ranking rose to #8. He went on to win the Malaysian Open and emerged as a semifinalist in the ATP finals, and thus concluded the season in the 5th spot in the ATP rankings. 

In 2015, Nishikori won the Memphis Open for the third consecutive time. He went on to the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel but lost. His ranking increased to #4. He went on to defend his Barcelona Open title. Following his Barcelona Open title win, Nishikori didn’t claim any other title in 2015. At the start of the 2016 season, Nishikori was ranked 8th. After emerging quarterfinalist in the Australian Open, he went on to win the Memphis Open. After losing in the final of the Miami Open, he went on to participate in the final of the Barcelona Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal

Photo of Kei Nishikori vs Andy Murray in 2016
Kei Nishikori in action Andy Murray in 2016. (Photo credit: nytimes.com)

Following an unsuccessful run to claim any title, he went on to defeat Andy Murray to claim bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. After emerging semifinalist in the US Open, Nishikori went on to lose in the second round of the ATP Finals. He ended the year in 5th spot in the ATP rankings. 

2017 was an injury-plagued season for Nishikori who suffered a wrist injury in the US Open and had to stay out of action for the rest of the season. As a result, his ranking decreased to #22. After 5 months out of action, he returned to claim the ATP Challenger. He made it to the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters and quarterfinal of the Italiana Open. After a series of defeats, he rebounded to make it to the final of the Vienna Open but lost. He made it to the ATP finals but lost in the group round. He finished the year in 9th spot in the ATP rankings. He began his 2019 season by winning the Brisbane International. At the Australian Open, he made it to the quarterfinal where he retired. He made it to the quarterfinal of the French Open and also the Wimbledon. 

Kei Nishikori Net Worth, Salary, Sponsorship and Endorsements

Nishikori’s net worth is estimated to be about $24 million. His earnings from tennis which includes his salary are estimated to be about $4.3 million annually by Forbes. His endorsement and sponsorship deals with Nike, Tag Heuer, Japan Airlines, Uniqlo, Jaguar and Nissin Foods, generate an income of $33 million annually. As of December 2019, Nishikori is the 14th all-time leader in career earnings with prize money summing up to about $23.8 million.

Kei Nishikori Personal Life and Relationship

He is currently in a relationship with a former gymnast, Honami Tsuboi.

Nishikori elder sister, Reina, works and resides in Tokyo. 

He enjoys playing football, golf and listening to music during his leisure time. 

SEE MORE: Biography facts and profile of famous tennis players


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