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Match Details
Fixture: Kei Nishikori vs Aleksandar Vukic
Date: April 23, 2025
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Surface: Clay
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Prize Money: $8,619,262
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Sony LIV
Kei Nishikori vs Aleksandar Vukic preview
2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori will face Australia's Aleksandar Vukic in the first round of the 2025 Madrid Masters on Wednesday (April 23).
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Nishikori has had a respectable 2025 season, which he began on a fine note by reaching his 27th career final at the Hong Kong Open in January. Although the 35-year-old hasn't made much of an impact on the ATP Tour since then, he will be eager to go deep in Madrid - where he led "King of Clay" Rafael Nadal by a set and a break in the final nine years ago before being forced to retire due to injury.
The former World No. 4 has accumulated an impressive win/loss record of 18-8 at Caja Magica during his career but hasn't played at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament since 2021. His first-round opponent Vukic, meanwhile, has struggled with racking up wins this year, having dropped nine of his 13 tour-level outings. The World No. 83 Aussie failed to go past the first round of last year's Madrid Open in what was his first appearance at the event.
Kei Nishikori vs Aleksandar Vukic head-to-head
Nishikori and Vukic have never met on the ATP Tour so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Kei Nishikori vs Aleksandar Vukic odds
All bets sourced from BetMGM.
Kei Nishikori vs Aleksandar Vukic prediction
Nishikori's game is well-suited to the high-altitude, medium-paced claycourts in Madrid, as they allow him to take the ball on the rise and spread his groundstrokes evenly across the baseline. The Japanese's underwhelming serve is also less susceptible to being taken advantage of, meaning his younger opponent will have to put in a special display to down him.
Vukic doesn't impart much weight or depth on his shots and instead chooses to rely on his rally tolerance and endurance to outlast opponents. While this ploy is likely to help him put pressure on Nishikori, whose body is worn down after years of injuries, the 35-year-old is well-rested, which should give him favorable enough odds to reach the second round of the 2025 Madrid Open.
Pick: Nishikori to win in three sets.
