Nishikori cruises through return to action after 20 months at Palmas del Mar Challenger

Kei Nishikori made his return to tennis for the first time in 20 months at the Palmas del Mar Challenger event in Puerto Rico beating his opponent 6-2 6-4.

Nishikori hasn't played Since October of 2021 and it's been a long journey back. The hip injury kept him away from the court for a while after which it became increasingly clear that he needs to undergo surgery to get it fixed. He did that and then it was a long way to get back to a competitive shape with the return planned for the Delray Beach Beach Open. He didn't return there but rather pushed the return back and that didn't change for a few months.

A few postponements later and Nishikori made an announcement that he would return to Puerto Rico which happened the other day. It was a good return as he proved quite comfortable on the court beating a tricky player in straight sets. Nishikori played well, showed himself to be in good tennis shape and it seems like we'll be seeing him at the top in no time. The Japanese player admitted in an interview a while ago that he doesn't expect much from his return but he wanted to give it one final shot before retiring.

He's up there in age as well so it's not likely that he'll be able to do much in the coming years. Still, it's good to have him back because he is one of the best players in the world when he's playing at his best. Nadal famously said of Nishikori that he's one of the best players in the world when fully healthy. Unfortunately, that story of his career have been injuries. There were far too many preventing him from hitting his peak on a consistent basis. A great shame.