Coronavirus was the main culprit in spoiling the plans of Nishikori to participate at the US Open. The Japanese number one tested positive for the virus just weeks before the competition. Despite having the asymptomatic form of the virus he tested positive again only 10 days before the start of the event forcing him to withdraw from the competition.

Luckily for him and many of his fans, he is back on the courts again looking as good as ever. On his official twitter profile, he posted a short video of him practicing on what appears to be a clay surface. To leave any doubt out he captioned the video with "First day on the clay". It seems this added free time should give Nishikori an advantage in preparation for the French Open which is just around the corner.

The 3rd and final grand slam of the year is set to begin on the 27th of September, just 14 days after the US Open. The transition from hard courts to clay courts can be a tricky one for many players so this added practice this will serve the Japanese player good.

Despite being a primarily hard courts player Nishikori reached the QF three times at the French Open with the last one coming in 2019. This early preparation might give him an edge to better that result this year.

https://twitter.com/keinishikori/status/1299040831941357568