Kei Nishikori withdraws from 2021 Delray Beach Open and enters ATP Cup

Former world no. 4 and the 12-time ATP champion Kei Nishikori will not kick off the season at the Delray Beach Open in January, changing plans and entering the ATP Cup.

Kei played only six matches in 2020, finishing the season at Roland Garros and skipping the Paris Masters and the ATP 250 event in Sofia, struggling with a shoulder injury and switching focus on 2021. Kei hadn't played since the US Open 2019 before making a comeback in Kitzbuhel in September this year, losing to Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets.

Dealing with arm and elbow injuries, Nishikori finished 2019 outside the top-10 for the second time in three years, undergoing surgery on October 22 and staying away from the court for almost a year. Following that short 2020 campaign, Kei will take more time off the court before making a comeback at the ATP Cup in the first week of February, leading Japan with a protected ranking.