16 Reasons Kei Nishikori has Emerged as an Elite Player

Paul Fein

Before the US Open, ESPN analyst and former US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe predicted: “It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Djokovic or Federer winning the US Open.” Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic, 50-1 and 80-1 longshots according to the Las Vegas Hotel’s SuperBook, weren’t likely to appear on anyone’s short list of contenders, though they should have been.

This year Nishikori had beaten Roger Federer, David Ferrer (twice), rising stars Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov, as well as Cilic (twice), while coming close against Rafael Nadal before a back injury forced him to retire. Cilic had defeated Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Dimitrov, and nearly upset Federer.

When both Cilic and Nishikori shocked prognosticators by reaching the final, it marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that none of the renowned Big 3—Federer, Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—reached a Grand Slam final. While Cilic, a 6’6” Croat, overpowered the 5’10” Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the final, Nishikori’s run was equally impressive because of his tougher draw. The Japanese 24-year-old took out No. 5 Raonic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, and No. 1 Djokovic.

The last sub-6-foot player to win a Grand Slam was No. 44-ranked Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open.

Nishikori’s career has too often been derailed by injuries, and bad luck struck again when a cyst on his right foot required surgery just two weeks before the US Open. Though he was short of practice time and tune-up matches, his coach Michael Chang urged him to enter the Open. Chang told Nishikori: “We will go early, work on the timing and once you get through the first two matches anything can happen. I gave him examples of myself and Pete Sampras where we weren’t quite sure if we were going to play; Pete got to the finals in Australia one year, I almost got the final of the French in ’95 and was very close to pulling out of the tournament before it started.” So the dedicated Nishikori, who couldn’t run while the foot healed, sat on a collapsible chair on the practice court as conditioning coach Dante Bottini fed him balls for an hour every day.

The last sub-6-foot player to win a Grand Slam was No. 44-ranked Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open. How did Nishikori, a David in a tennis world increasingly filled with Goliaths, make history as the first Asian man to reach a major final as well as surge to a career-high No. 8 ranking? The short answer is he and his team left no stone unturned. Here are 16 reasons—and also why Nishikori might someday become the first Japanese player to capture the ultimate prize in tennis, a Grand Slam singles title.

Natural Talent — When Nishikori was 14, former world No. 1 Jim Courier went to the Bollettieri Tennis Academy and asked the pros there who was the most talented prospect. “They all said Nishikori, and that he could do everything, even serve and volley,” recalled Courier. In his new book, Bollettieri: Changing the Game, Hall of Fame coach Nick Bollettieri wrote: “I have seen thousands of tennis players over the past 60 years and can identify only three who have had the gift of magic hands—Xavier Malisse, Marcelos Rios, and Kei Nishikori.” Another magical maestro agreed. After Nishikori upset No. 1 Djokovic to make the US Open final, Federer said, “I always thought Kei was an unbelievable talent.”

Michael Chang (left) has had a big impact on Nishikori's game.

The Chang Effect — All four men’s semifinalists at the US Open were advised and inspired by “celebrity coaches”—players who had won at least one major singles title. Chang, the 1989 French champion hired last year to complement Bottini, is the son of Taiwanese parents and quickly made an “Asian Connection” with the reserved Nishikori. Even more important, Chang boosted his confidence. “He’s beaten everyone and I have constantly reminded him of that,” Chang told The Guardian (UK), after Nishikori gained the final. “We have similar styles, so I have been able to advise him well with certain things. I keep telling him after every match: ‘We are not done yet.’ ” Chang also made a key change in Nishikori’s technique. “Michael realized,” wrote Bollettieri, “that magic hands were not enough, but would make a big difference in combination with the right leg work. He showed Kei exactly how to load from the ground up which, in turn, got his racquet below the ball. This allowed Kei to apply more height, depth and spin, especially when he was out of position and behind the baseline.”

Superior Fitness — Nishikori became a fitness fanatic as a boy. In Japan, he he would run up and down a flight of 41 stone steps near a small tennis club where he trained tirelessly on weekends and holidays. Neither the 90-degree heat nor the 50-percent humidity bothered the supremely fit Nishikori during his 2-hour, 52-minute duel with Djokovic. In the fourth set, Nishikori looked energized, while the more-rested Djokovic looked sluggish. That semifinal followed Nishikori’s consecutive, 4-hour-plus, 5-set marathon matches against 5th-seeded Milos Raonic and 3rd-seeded Stan Wawrinka. The Raonic match ended at a record-tying 2:26 a.m. for lateness. In fact, of the five winners of US Open matches finishing after 2 a.m., only Nishikori won his next match. John McEnroe, the 1980s superstar and now a TV analyst, called the feat “one of the great all-time efforts I’ve ever seen.”

Positioning — Nishikori held his ground near the baseline and won the battle for court position against Djokovic, and that helped him dictate the majority of the rallies. With a Federer-like anticipation, he eagerly pounced on and attacked short balls, which Djokovic hit more often than he usually does.

Foot Speed — Nishikori showcased his dazzling speed at the US Open. If he’s not the fastest player in the sport, he’s right up there with speed merchants Gael Monfils, Djokovic, Nadal,  Federer, and Murray. His low center of gravity and muscular legs produce much of that speed. By getting to the ball faster than Djokovic, Nishikori could be more aggressive with his shots than Djokovic.

Short Backswing — “He generates a lot of power with a pretty short backswing,” pointed out John McEnroe, an owner of a tennis academy. “His timing is awesome.” As the speed of shots gets faster and faster in today’s game, a short backswing for groundstrokes, even on clay, is becoming a bigger advantage than ever. Andre Agassi’s compact backswing, especially on serve returns and backhands, is the gold standard, but Nishikori isn’t far behind. His early backswing (racket take-back) also decreases the chances he’ll hit the ball late or mishit it.

Hitting on the Rise — “He hits the ball very early and with a lot of acceleration,” Bottini told The Guardian (UK). “He has a lot of power from his hips down so his power comes from there.” This playing style and tactic give opponents much less time to react and recover. It separates the great from the near-great, as Murray has learned when he becomes passive and tentative, instead of hitting the ball early and aggressively.

Competitiveness — Unlike Gael Monfils, who lost heart after Federer staved off two match points in their five-set quarterfinal, Nishikori showed his heart in desperate times. It took him ten tough match points to finish off gritty David Ferrer in the Mutua Madrid Open semis in May. At the US Open, Darren Cahill, the respected ESPN analyst, said, “It was a wonderful effort to come back and beat Wawrinka in five sets after his late match against Raonic.” When Nishikori battled back after being two points from defeat against Wawrinka, John McEnroe said, “No one will ever question Nishikori’s fitness again—or his heart.” The best competitors come through in the clutch, and Nishikori is a perfect 4-0 in five-set matches and 11-6 in tiebreakers this year.

Improved Serve — As one of the two smallest players in the top 20, along with Ferrer, the 150-pound Nishikori will never hit rocket serves. But he’s significantly improved the power, placement, spin, variation, and disguise on his serve. He belted a 121-mph serve against Djokovic and two aces to hold serve for 5-3 in the fourth set of his 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory. Nishikori’s second serve, which averaged 88, 88, 86, and 89 mph in his last four matches, did not prove vulnerable until the final. There the long-armed, towering Cilic could swing freely and attack it because Cilic held his own serve quite easily in nine of his 14 service games and lost it just once, even though Nishikori had nine break point opportunities. The most glaring statistical disparity centered on first serves. The Croat’s first serve averaged 124 mph compared to only 108 mph for the Japanese’s. As a result, the champion won 80% of his first-serve points, far better than the runner-up’s abysmal 55%.

Great Backhand — During his semifinal win over Djokovic, Courier rated the best backhands today with Djokovic at No. 1, Murray No. 2, and Nadal and Nishikori tied at No. 3, but conceded he might have to rank Nishikori higher. Indeed, for power, control, ability to hit down the line, and consistency, Nishikori’s grooved backhand outshined Djokovic’s for three of the four sets. “The ultimate compliment paid Nishikori’s backhand,” pointed out Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimselstob, “is that Djokovic changed the pattern by slicing crosscourt backhands.”  Before the final, ESPN analyst Darren Cahill said Nishikori's down-the-line backhand "at the moment is the best in the game."

Footwork — Arthur Ashe rated foot-eye coordination more important than hand-eye coordination, and asserted, “It’s the great feet that win Grand Slam titles.” Nishikori’s nimbleness, balance, agility, and ability to position himself the optimum distance from the ball are superb. Courier said, “He has the ability to put the brakes on and get back into position. He’s so athletic.” Nishikori’s semi-closed backhand stance—in sharp contrast to the open stance often used by the Williams sisters—also enables him to strike the ball solidly almost every time. The less stable open-stance backhand may be adequate for emergencies, but Nishikori keeps his feet working hard to make those emergencies rare.

Service Returns — “Nishikori is a tremendous returner,” praised John McEnroe. Against Djokovic, considered the greatest serve returner of his era, he returned more aggressively and consistently than the Serb. And Djokovic’s first serve and second serve averaged 6 and 8 mph, respectively, faster than Nishikori’s.

Volleying Skill — Nishikori has sound volley technique and knows what he’s doing at net. His shorter reach is offset by his greater quickness and anticipation. Against Cilic (5/8), Djokovic (7/12), Wawrinka (29/37), Raonic (15/22), he won an excellent 70.9% of the combined 79 net points.

Shot Selection — While his shot selection isn’t clever like Federer’s, it’s almost always sensible and high-percentage. He played “first-strike tennis” as much as possible—much like Cilic did in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 rout of Federer in the US Open semis—and seldom allowed Djokovic to dictate points.

Poise — Nishikori’s burning desire to win is aided by even-keeled, calm demeanor that helps him ride the highs and lows of tough matches. Unlike at Wimbledon, where Nishikori showed his frustration after being frequently aced by rocket-serving Raonic, the maturing Japanese showed poise at Flushing Meadows.

Power of Concentration — Concentration helps reduce unforced errors and improve play on pressure-packed, pivotal points. Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert were renowned for their steely concentration, and Nishikori keeps his eyes on the ball and mind on the point. Unlike Monfils, he eschews trick shots and showmanship. Unlike Djokovic, he doesn’t try to ignite the crowd. This trait came naturally to Nishikori. The New York Times reported: “At the nearby Green Tennis School, where Nishikori first took tennis lessons as a 6-year-old, the star’s first coach and longtime mentor, Masaki Kashiwai, said Nishikori’s success was because of his power of concentration, and particularly his ability to dispassionately analyze what went wrong after a loss.”

After Cilic overpowered Nishikori to seize his first Grand Slam crown, Cilic declared, “I have shown other players trying to make the breakthrough that it can happen.”

Nishikori is the best candidate to knock down more walls of the kingdom of the Big 3. And he knows he can do it. “I think I showed my potential that I can beat anybody now,” said Nishikori. “So if I can keep training hard and also practice hard, I think I will have more chances coming up.”

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Paul Fein

Paul Fein has received more than 30 writing awards and authored three books, Tennis Confidential: Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies, You Can Quote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers, and Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies. Fein is also a USPTA-certified teaching pro and coach with a Pro-1 rating, former director of the Springfield (Mass.) Satellite Tournament, a former top 10-ranked men’s open New England tournament player, and formerly a No. 1-ranked Super Senior player in New England.