Nishikori set for return to main ATP Tour at Atlanta Open, excited after recent Challenger form

ATP
Wednesday, 19 July 2023 at 01:00
Nishikori_Kei_Washington2015
Kei Nishikori is thrilled after confirming his return to the ATP Tour at the Atlanta Open.
The 33-year-old Japanese player has faced a challenging journey to get back to professional tournaments. Nishikori underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip in January 2022, and it took him a year and a half to return to the tennis courts.
The former world No. 4 revealed that he needed to have his hip bones trimmed, which necessitated the surgical procedure:
"My bones have been deformed in hip and elbow, I needed surgery to trim the bones otherwise I feel pain, so (what happened) was inevitable. I never think about what I should have done (with these injuries), I know it's an unanswered question," Nishikori said in an interview with Nikkan Sports.
Good news has come for the currently world No. 438, who was unranked until earlier this year but made a triumphant comeback at the Challenger 75 Palmas del Mar, winning the tournament.
Nishikori entered the Atlanta Open thanks to his protected ranking, which will be his first ATP 250 tournament after playing in three challengers to regain his competitive rhythm. He announced the news through his social media channels.

"Excited to go on Friday to the @ATLOpenTennis! It will be my first @atptour back. Hope to see you there," he tweeted.

Injuries have been a constant struggle for the Japanese player, who had already experienced a long hiatus in 2017 due to a serious wrist injury. Regarding his difficulties with injuries, Nishikori acknowledged last year how the process was and revealed that he took Roger Federer as an inspiration:
"I have been very depressed in the last few months. I even thought about retiring. From July to September, I was in rehabilitation at home. It's three months when I can't play tennis. I can't even take a racquet. Mentally, it's very complicated. Of course, I've been on the verge of retirement,"
"When I saw Roger, I finally thought that I can continue playing tennis over 30 years of age," claimed Nishikori.
The Atlanta Open begins on July 24th and includes 10 players ranked within the top 50, featuring prominent global stars such as Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, and Cristopher Eubanks.

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