Kei Nishikori confirms absence from 2024 Australian Open as injury hell continues

Japan’s tennis star Kei Nishikori has been ruled out of the Australian Open because of fitness concerns. The 33-year-old has not played any tennis since July after suffering a knee injury.

It was earlier reported that Nishikori will target a return to professional tennis in the first Grand Slam of 2024. However, the former world number four has now stated that he will not feature in the competition this year and is now eyeing a return in February or March 2024.

"Think I won't be ready in time for the Australian Open. Now my goal is to play Challengers in the US and then to play Indian Wells or Miami. I want to be back in February or March, I've started seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Nishikori is one of the most successful Japanese players to have played in the men’s singles category in the Open era. His most successful outing in a major tournament came in 2014 when he finished as the runner-up in the US Open where he lost to Croatia’s Marin Cilic in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

However, Nishikori has not played in a major event since 2021 when he played in the US Open and was knocked out after losing the third-round tie.