The Australian Open qualifying rounds are in full swing, with lower-ranked players vying for a spot in the main draw.
Some familiar faces have appeared in the qualifying field this year, including 2024 Italian Open finalist Nicolas Jarry, 2021 Indian Wells runner-up Nikoloz Basilashvili, and Dusan Lajovic, who reached the final of the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters.
Jarry and Basilashvili were both eliminated in their opening matches. Lajovic did manage to move through to round two.
But one player with an even bigger name didn’t even make it onto court for his first-round match.
The 2014 US Open finalist pulled out of qualifying just hours before he was scheduled to play his opener…
Nishikori pulls out of Australian Open qualifying
Kei Nishikori was set to face Belgium’s Kimmer Coppejans in the opening round, but the Japanese star withdrew just hours before the match.
Coppejans instead took on Omar Jasika, winning in straight sets and moving himself within two wins of a spot in the main draw.
Nishikori’s reason for withdrawing hasn’t been confirmed yet, though it may be linked to fitness issues. He had already retired from his last Challenger Tour match, where he trailed Vit Kopriva 6-1, 2-2 before pulling out.
That appearance was just his seventh since last June at the Geneva Open.
Injuries have played a major role in Nishikori’s recent struggles. Once a regular top-10 player, he has slipped down to 237th in the rankings at age 36.
But even though he’s dropped down the rankings now, there was a time when Nishikori consistently put together strong runs on tour.
Breaking down Nishikori’s Grand Slam history
During the height of his career, Nishikori reached nine Grand Slam quarterfinals, two semifinals, and one final.
Nishikori made history by becoming the first Japanese player to reach a major final, after beating Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic in consecutive matches.
However, he wasn’t able to finish the job. Marin Cilic beat him 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the final that year.
Nishikori hasn’t been back to a Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2019. Injuries have kept him from building any momentum. Since then, he’s won just nine matches at majors.
Nishikori is set to return at the Phan Tiet 2 Challenger event in Vietnam on January 26th.
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