Continued bad luck for Nishikori, won't make ATP Masters 1000 return yet at Canadian Open due to injury

Kei Nishikori postpones his return to the Masters 1000 and will not compete in the Canadian Open following an injury in Atlanta.

The Japanese tennis player is once again dealing with injuries after his participation in the ATP 250 in Atlanta last week. In 2017, Nishikori underwent wrist surgery, and in 2019, he had surgery on his right elbow.

Additionally, he underwent hip surgery at the beginning of 2022, which kept him out of action until the Palmas del Mar Challenger in mid-June this year.

Nishikori made a successful comeback, becoming the champion in that tournament and gaining points in the ATP ranking. Then he traveled to the United States to play in the Bloomfield Hills Challenger (defeat in the round of 16) and the Chicago Challenger (quarterfinals).

During the Atlanta Open, he returned to an ATP 250 event and secured victories against Jordan Thompson and Shang Juncheng, but he was defeated in the quarterfinals by the first seed and eventual champion, Taylor Fritz.

After the match, Nishikori experienced physical discomfort in his knee, which led him to withdraw from the DC Open before his first round match against Lloyd Harris.

Details about his injury are yet to be disclosed. As a result, he also pulled out of the Masters 1000 Canadian Open, which would have marked his return to an ATP 1000 event after two years.

In Canada, Japanese Kei Nishikori had notable results, reaching the semifinals in 2015 (defeat against Andy Murray) and the final in 2016 (loss to Novak Djokovic).

Additionally, the former world No. 4 did not sign up for the Cincinnati Open, as he decided to rest before the US Open. Nishikori will be out of action at least until the start of the US Open on August 28, for which he received entry with his protected ranking.