Kei Nishikori, 36, was defeated by 20-year-old Rei Sakamoto 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in the third round of US Open qualifying on August 28, 2026, ending his bid to play his last Grand Slam tournament before retiring at the end of the season [1, 2, 3]. Sakamoto served 19 aces and closed out the match after Nishikori saved two match points in a contest that lasted one hour and 42 minutes [1, 2].
Nishikori was granted a qualifying wild card by the U.S. Tennis Association as he sought to qualify for the main draw [1, 2, 3]. The Japanese veteran, who was the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final at the 2014 US Open, has been struggling with injuries since his left hip surgery in January 2022 [1, 2, 3]. He had also planned to play mixed doubles with Naomi Osaka at the event but did not participate [1, 2].
After the match, Nishikori praised Sakamoto as "the next Japanese top player" who could reach the top 10 soon. "Not happy to lose today, but I mean I’m happy for Rei," Nishikori said. "It was a great week for me. I was really enjoying it," he added [1]. Nishikori also said, "I really enjoyed my entire tennis life. It was almost 20 years with the pros and especially here I had great memories... so happy to play in the last moment" [1].
Sakamoto, ranked around world No. 157, will advance to the US Open main draw starting August 30 [1, 2, 3]. Commenting on his victory, he said, "My serves were really good, and I also managed to play aggressively. I hope to become a player on par with Kei" [1]. Sakamoto also called Nishikori his idol and remarked on the impact Nishikori had on tennis in Japan, saying, "He’s a superstar and he did a lot to Japanese tennis" [3].
Following his loss, Nishikori was presented with a framed portrait by US Open officials, which he and Sakamoto held up for a photo after the match [3]. Nishikori plans to compete next at the Japan Open in Tokyo in late September 2026 [1, 2].
