Carlos Alcaraz warned as ex-Federer rival gunning for showdown ahead of two-year comeback
Kei Nishikori is making his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour. And the former US Open finalist is eyeing a showdown with world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Kei Nishikori has admitted that he is gunning for a meeting with Carlos Alcaraz as he makes his long-awaited return to the ATP Tour. The former world No 4 once challenged the likes of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the biggest tournaments but has been sidelined for almost two years after undergoing hip surgery but is back in action in Atlanta.
Nishikori has not played an ATP Tour event since Indian Wells in October 2021. The 2014 US Open finalist underwent hip surgery last year and returned to Challenger circuit competition in June – winning his first tournament back in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico.
The Japanese tennis star will now be hoping to translate his immediate success onto the top-tier ATP Tour as he competes in this week’s Atlanta Open. Ahead of his tour-level comeback, Nishikori explained how he managed to stay motivated during his almost two-year hiatus from competition.
Having watched Alcaraz’s rise from afar, the 12-time title winner said he couldn’t wait to get a shot at facing the world No 1, as well as fellow young gun Holger Rune. “I had hip surgery, I sprained my ankle during these 20 months, and my shoulder was bad. So I had a couple of different injuries,” Nishikori told the ATP
