Kei Nishikori wins Helsinki Challenger, eyes top 100 re-entry after two-year absence

Kei Nishikori came close to re-entering the top 100 after claiming the 2024 Helsinki Challenger title by defeating young star Luca Nardi 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. The 34-year-old Japanese player won his first title in over a year and will rise to No. 107 in the ATP rankings.

Injuries have prevented Nishikori from playing regularly in recent seasons. After undergoing hip surgery in 2022, he later faced knee issues that have complicated his return to the rankings.

In the final, Nishikori overcame the 21-year-old fifth seed Nardi (No. 102), who earlier this year defeated Novak Djokovic in the second round of Indian Wells. Nishikori bounced back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

With this, the former world No. 4 is now about 30 points away from returning to the top 100 for the first time in two years. Just a few months ago, Nishikori was ranked as low as No. 581, but his strong showings at the ATP 500 Tokyo Open (quarterfinals) and last week's ATP 250 Bratislava (semifinals) earned him valuable points that could grant him direct entry to the Australian Open at the start of the 2025 season.