"I still have the same passion": Kei Nishikori sets sights on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Kei Nishikori remains eager to compete on the ATP Tour and targets facing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz this year. The Japanese former World No. 4 has battled multiple injuries over the past few years, but at 35 years old, he is ready to return to top-level competition.

This week, Nishikori debuted at the Hong Kong Open with an impressive 6-2, 6-3 victory over Denis Shapovalov, a player who, like him, is seeking to regain prominence. Following his triumph, Nishikori shared his aspirations to take on the current Tour leaders.

“There are young players like Sinner and Alcaraz that I have never faced. I would like to challenge them in 2025,” Nishikori told the ATP website. “It is something that motivates me—to play against these young talents. My 2024 ended quite well. Winning a Challenger at the end of the year gave me confidence.”

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Nishikori had a strong return to the Tour in 2024 after a long injury break. He reached the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, a Masters 1000 event, and captured a Challenger title in Helsinki. “I need even more confidence to win more matches at the highest level. I want to enjoy every match—I feel good again. Playing against top 50 players will not be easy, but I have the same passion as always, and I train a lot,” he added.

"I finished 2024 pretty good. Not the best that I wanted, but still I finished well, especially winning the Challenger in the last tournament of the year," said the former US Open finalist.

"I still have the same passion that I had 10 years ago. I still love tennis, I still love competing. Physically, I feel good—finally, I would say. I also feel more confident about my tennis. I hope to get into the top 50, maybe even the top 20 or 10 in a few years," the Japanese concluded.

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