Nishikori Says Goodbye in Tokyo as Djokovic Matches Nadal's 31-0 Record and Zverev Waits in Beijing
Kei Nishikori played his final match in Tokyo, Djokovic fought back to go 31-0 in Beijing, and the Zverev quarter-final is today.
Tennis's Asian swing gave fans a farewell and a record in the same week. In Tokyo, Kei Nishikori, the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, played the last match of his career. In Beijing, Novak Djokovic stretched his perfect China Open record to 31-0. He plays top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals today, Sunday.
Nishikori's final bow
Nishikori lost 6-4, 6-4 to American Frances Tiafoe in the Japan Open first round on Thursday at Ariake Coliseum. The home crowd rose to applaud the 36-year-old, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2014.
Organisers paid tribute with a video featuring messages from top players. "Your resilience and your fighting spirit to always come back after all the adversity you had with your body, injuries and everything that you faced is really commendable and admirable," Djokovic said in his message. "I'm really glad you're ending your career in your town, in your country, in front of your people."
According to The Japan Times, Carlos Alcaraz called himself a fan. Grigor Dimitrov, Alex de Minaur and Andy Murray praised Nishikori's two-handed backhand.
Nishikori's career in numbers
- 2014: US Open runner-up, the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final
- No. 4: career-high ranking, reached in 2015
- 12: ATP titles
- 2: Japan Open titles (2012, 2014)
Tiafoe did not last much longer. He lost 6-3, 7-5 to French qualifier Arthur Fils on Friday. Defending champion Alcaraz saved four set points in a first-set tiebreak and beat Matteo Arnaldi 7-6(6), 6-1 on Saturday. He plays Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals. According to Tennis Majors, he is trying to become the first man to defend the Tokyo title since Pete Sampras in 1993 and 1994.
Djokovic comes back against Bu
In Beijing, Djokovic needed almost three hours to beat Chinese wild card Bu Yunchaokete 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 on Friday. The six-time champion is now 31-0 at the event. That equals Rafael Nadal's 31-0 start at Roland-Garros, the best start by a man at a single tournament in the Open Era, according to Tennis Majors.
The 39-year-old also became the oldest quarter-finalist at ATP 500 level since the category was created in 2009, passing Roger Federer's mark from Basel in 2019.
Zverev next
Zverev, the reigning Roland-Garros and US Open champion, beat Chinese wild card Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 in 55 minutes on Saturday. According to Tennis Now, he won nine games in a row. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 9-5.
"It's definitely a court that he absolutely loves and enjoys playing at. No question about it," Zverev said of Djokovic. "Still I think best-of-three sets he's going to be one of the toughest challenges you can have in this sport on a hard court."
Medvedev, the third seed, beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3.
Women's draw
In the women's draw in Beijing, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen went through when Anna Kalinskaya retired in the deciding set. According to Xinhua, 16-year-old Sun Xinran, last month's US Open girls' champion, beat 27th seed Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5 and now faces Coco Gauff. Iga Swiatek beat Gao Xinyu 6-2, 6-3, while Elena Rybakina lost to 118th-ranked Charaeva.
Key takeaways
- Kei Nishikori retired after a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Frances Tiafoe at the Japan Open.
- Djokovic beat Bu Yunchaokete to go 31-0 in Beijing, matching Nadal's Roland-Garros start.
- Zverev beat Shang 6-0, 6-3 and plays Djokovic in today's quarter-final. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 9-5.
- Alcaraz is into the Tokyo quarter-finals and plays Denis Shapovalov.
FAQ
What was Nishikori's biggest achievement? Reaching the 2014 US Open final, the first Asian man to play a Grand Slam singles final. He also reached No. 4 in the world in 2015.
How long is Djokovic's Beijing winning streak? 31 matches with no defeats, covering all six of his titles there.
Who has the better head-to-head, Djokovic or Zverev? Djokovic leads 9-5, including their quarter-final at Roland-Garros in 2025.
Sources: The Japan Times, Tennis Majors, Tennis Now, Xinhua, Channels Television