New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori has announced his decision to retire at the end of the 2026 season.

Nishikori has been a critical figure for Japanese tennis, not only becoming the highest-ranked player in the country’s history, but also the first to break into the world’s Top 10. The Japanese star has climbed as high as No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

"Today, I have an announcement. I have decided to retire from professional tennis at the end of this season," Nishikori wrote in a lengthy post he shared on social media.

"Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: 'I want to compete on the world stage.' Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of. Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable," he added.

The 36-year-old owns 12 ATP Tour titles, including two on home soil in Tokyo in 2012 and 2014. The winner of 451 tour-level matches has also competed at the Nitto ATP Finals four times (2014-16, 2018), reaching the semi-finals twice (2014 and 2016).

Nishikori enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014, when he won four tour-level titles and posted a 54-14 record, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index.

That season, the Japanese star reached the US Open final, upsetting then-World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Nishikori also advanced to the last four at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, where he defeated Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, ATP reports.

Nishikori most recently competed in a tour-level event at last year’s Cincinnati Open. He played in an ATP Challenger event last week in Savannah, Georgia.

"My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times," Nishikori wrote. "To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all.

"I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end," he wrote.

--IANS

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