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Tennis fans were left devastated over the news of Kei Nishikori's last-minute withdrawal from the 2023 US Open due to injury.
Following a nearly two-year-long layoff from professional tennis after undergoing hip surgery in January 2022, Nishikori made a triumphant return to the court in June, winning the Carribean Open, a Challenger Tour 75 event. He made his long-awaited comeback to the ATP Tour at the Atlanta Open in July, securing two promising victories before falling to eventual champion Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals.
The 33-year-old was set to compete at the Citi Open in the lead-up to the US Open. However, he was forced to pull out of the ATP 500 event due to a knee injury. It appears that the Japanese is yet to recover fully, necessitating his withdrawal from the US Open as well. He will be replaced by Lucky Loser James Duckworth in the main draw.
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Several fans expressed frustration over the news and lamented the continuous misfortunes faced by the former World No. 4.
"Again!? Dude can't catch a break can he! #usopen disappointing news," a fan commented.
"Man I feel bad for Kei. Can't catch a break," another fan chimed in.
Other fans wished the 33-year-old a speedy recovery.
"NO! NO! NO! Get well soon @keinishikori We miss you," one fan commented.
"Wow, Get Well Soon!" another fan wrote.
One user pointed out that Nishikori was the latest player to pull out of the US Open. The news follows Paula Badosa and Bianca Andreescu's last-minute withdrawals from the Major due to injuries.
"Kei Nishikori is the latest player to withdraw from the US Open due to injury," the user posted.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
A brief look at Kei Nishikori's record at US Open
Over the course of his career, the US Open stands out as Kei Nishikori's most successful Grand Slam. While the former World No. 4 is yet to advance past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon Championships, he contested the final of the New York Major in 2014.
Entering the tournament as the 10th seed, Nishikori made history as the first Japanese player to reach a Major semifinal in the Open Era after defeating Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals.
He then defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to set up a title clash with Marin Cilic. Cilic secured a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the Japanese in the final to claim his maiden Grand Slam title.
Nishikori reached the semifinals of the US Open on two more occasions, in 2016 and 2018, losing to Wawrinka and Djokovic respectively. With a 27-11 win/loss record, the former World No. 4 holds a 71% winning rate at the Major.
