Kei Nishikori returns to Top 100 after two years with thrilling win over Karen Khachanov

Kei Nishikori returned to the top 100 after more than two and a half years by defeating Karen Khachanov at the Hong Kong Open. The former US Open runner-up secured his second consecutive win of the season and advanced to the quarterfinals, climbing to World No. 91 in the live rankings.

The former World No. 4 ended 2024 in excellent form, reaching the semifinals of the Bratislava Open and then claiming the title at the Helsinki Challenger. Nishikori has started the new season strong with victories over top-tier opponents like Denis Shapovalov (6-2, 6-3) and Khachanov (4-6, 6-3, 7-5).

Nishikori secures top-100 spot

The Japanese star has faced numerous injuries in recent years. In 2022, he underwent surgery on his left hip and struggled with ankle and right knee issues in 2023. As a result, Nishikori played only a handful of tournaments in 2024 amidst recovery setbacks.

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Barely a year ago, Nishikori was outside the top 500, but despite playing few events over the past year, he quickly climbed back up the rankings. He finished 2024 ranked World No. 106, and just a couple of wins at the start of the season secured his return to the top 100 after 30 months.

Nishikori celebrated his 35th birthday just days ago, and in an interview with the ATP, he shared that he still has big ambitions on the Tour. "I finished (2024) pretty good. Not the best that I wanted, but still, I finished well, especially winning the Challenger in the last tournament of the year," said Nishikori.

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"That gave me a lot of confidence to win more matches on the Tour. I need to gain even more confidence to win more matches at the top level, and that's what I need to do this week.”

Currently ranked No. 91 in the live rankings, the former World No. 4 is set to face Cameron Norrie in the Hong Kong Open quarterfinals. A win could push him up to World No. 83.

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