Kei Nishikori becomes first-ever unranked player to win ATP Challenger title with Caribbean Open triumph

After a nearly two-year-long layoff from professional tennis, Kei Nishikori made his comeback to the tour at the Caribbean Open, an ATP Challenger Tour 75 event held in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico.

Nishikori last competed on the tour at the Indian Wells Masters in October 2021. The 33-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to his left hip in January 2022 and suffered unexpected setbacks to his comeback bids over the course of the year. He finally made his return to the court at the Palmas del Mar Challenger on June 14.

The former World No. 4 started off his campaign with a straight-sets win over Christian Langmo. He then secured a come-from-behind win over seventh seed Mitchell Krueger and advanced to the quarterfinals. Subsequently, he eased past Adam Walton and Gustavo Heide to reach the final in Puerto Rico, where he took on Michael Zheng.

Despite facing a minor setback after he was broken twice when serving for the title at 5-2, Kei Nishikori held his nerve to close out the match and claim his first trophy since his triumph at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane in 2018.

With his win, the 33-year-old became the first-ever unranked player to win an ATP Challenger title. Monday, June 19, saw the Japanese player return to the Top 500 of the ATP rankings, securing the World No. 492 spot.

"It was really high level and I cannot ask for more, I hope I can keep going" - Kei Nishikori after Caribbean Open triumph

Kei Nishikori optimistic after Caribbean Open triumph

Kei Nishikori expressed his happiness at having won the title in Puerto Rico. He voiced his satisfaction with his high level of play and his ability to play five consecutive matches without any physical issues.

"Hi, I'm very happy, won a title this week in Puerto Rico and also the way I played. It was really high level and I cannot ask for more than this. Able to play five matches in a row and my body's okay. That's most important, being healthy and I hope I can keep going," he said.

The former World No. 4 thanked his sponsors and team for their unwavering support and reiterated his desire to keep going before signing off with a thumbs up.

"Thanks for everybody, waiting for so long. And sponsors, my team, thank you for for all the support but I hope I can keep going," he added.

With the Palmas del Mar being played on hard courts and Kei Nishikori not being on the entry list for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, he is likely to skip the grasscourt season and aim directly at the North American hardcourt swing.