"I have been very depressed in these last months, I even thought about retiring" - Kei Nishikori opens up about his injury-hit season, reveals plans for 2023 Australian Open

Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori opened up about his injury troubles, the mental toll they took, and how it all led to him being depressed.

During the 'UNIQLO LifeWear Day Tokyo 2022 with Roger Federer' event, the Japanese discussed his troublesome 2022 season.

"I have been very depressed in the last few months, I even thought about retiring. From July to September I was in rehabilitation at home. It's three months when I can't play tennis, I can't even take a racket. Mentally, it's very complicated. Of course, I've been on the verge of retirement," Nishikori said.

That said, the 32-year-old claimed that he now hopes to continue his career for a few more years thanks to his meeting with Federer in Tokyo.

"When I saw Roger, I finally thought that I can continue playing tennis over 30 years of age," he stated.

While he doesn't know yet when he will return to the circuit, Kei Nishikori is hoping to take part in the first Grand Slam of 2023 - the Australian Open.

"I still don't know when I'll be back on the circuit. My goal would be to be able to play the 2023 Australian Open, but we are very fair. I haven't trained at the highest level for two weeks due to ankle discomfort," he asserted.

"Right now, the chances of playing the first Grand Slam of the season are 50%. I would like to be able to play some preparatory tournaments for the tournament, but I don't know if I will arrive on time. If I didn't make it, I would start playing some Challenger tournaments in January or February," he added.

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"I haven't seen any player like him who is that fast at every point" - Kei Nishikori praises Roger Federer

Kei Nishikori claims Federer is an electric player

In the same event, Kei Nishikori expressed his admiration for Roger Federer by saying that the Swiss maestro is the same person on and off the court and always has a smile on his face. The 32-year-old said that he met Federer as a teenager, which was an unforgettable experience for him.

"Roger is quite the same on and off the court. When I meet him, I have a lot of fun. It's true that I don't remember any embarrassing or funny episode of him, but when we're together he always has a smile on his face. If I had to keep a memory of him, it would be when I trained with him for the first time. I was 16 or 17 years old and it was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience for me. I'm grateful for that," Nishikori said.

Nishikori also spoke about his experience of playing the 20-time Major winner and stated that one could never let their guard down when taking on the "electric" player.

"He's a very electric tennis player. I haven't seen any player like him who is that fast at every point. You can't let your guard down at any time. I've never seen a player like him," he stated.