Kei Nishikori is making a change ahead of the final part of the season as the 2014 US Open decided to call time on his partnership with coach Thomas Johansson.
After being sidelined for two years and returning to tennis in mid-2023, the former world No. 4 had big plans for his comeback and hired coach Johansson in 2024 February. While the Japanese managed to stay more or less healthy in 2024 and he made the Montreal Masters quarterfinal and won the Helsinki Challenger, he still struggled with consistency for the most part.
However, when Nishikori started his 2025 season by reaching the Hong Kong final, it appeared that he was primed to kick off his year with a bang. But then, the 35-year-old lost to Alexandre Muller in the Hong Kong final and has since won only six matches on the main level, and owns a 10-10 record on the year. In his last tournament played at the Cincinnati Masters, the current world No. 88 was bounced in straight sets by Ugo Carabelli in the first round.
Nishikori ditches coach Johansson
"Hi fans, just wanted to update you on my coaching situation. @tompatennis and I have decided to go our separate ways. I want to thank Thomas not only for his great tennis knowledge, but also being a great person and team member. I will keep you posted if other changes happen on my team," the former world No. 4 announced on X.
Hi fans, just wanted to update you on my coaching situation. @tompatennis and I have decided to go our separate ways. I want to thank Thomas not only for his great tennis knowledge, but also being a great person and team member. I will keep you posted if other changes happen on…
— Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) August 21, 2025
Before deciding to remove Johansson, Nishikori also announced on X that he was withdrawing from the US Open due to a back issue. The Japanese will now probably aim to recover in the next few weeks and be ready for the Asian swing.
