A typhoon, tears and a trophy! How Nishikori made Tokyo history in 2014

Sky-high expectations from home fans, lower back pain, a red-hot championship-match opponent with a near-untouchable serve, and an incoming typhoon playing havoc with the conditions. They were just some of the challenges faced by Kei Nishikori at the 2014 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

The Japanese star overcame them all.

By defeating Milos Raonic in three sets to lift the trophy at his hometown event, Nishikori not only sent a capacity Ariake Coloseum crowd home happy. The then-24-year-old, who had also won in 2012 to join 1972 titlist Toshiro Sakai as a home Tokyo champion, became the first Japanese two-time winner in event history and just the fourth multiple titlist overall after ATP greats Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier.

Nishikori was long established as a huge star in Japan, but his achievements in 2014 prior to Tokyo had arguably elevated his profile to unprecedented levels. Just three weeks prior to the hard-court ATP 500, he had become the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the US Open. He defeated three Top 10 opponents in Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route.

Despite a painful defeat to Marin Cilic in the New York championship match, Nishikori bounced back by winning his third ATP Tour crown of the year in Kuala Lumpur. By the time he arrived in Tokyo, he had won 10 of his past 11 matches and reached a then-career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Nishikori did not take long to show his home fans first-hand the recent step up in his game. He raced to straight-sets victories in his opening three matches against Ivan Dodig, Donald Young and Jeremy Chardy, before rallying to a 4-6, 6-0, 7-6(2) semi-final triumph against Benjamin Becker.

_{^{Nishikori in second-round action against Donald Young during his 2014 Tokyo title run. Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images.}}

“This is an amazing feeling. This is my hometown, and I always feel a lot of support,” said Nishikori, whose lower back issue appeared to restrict his mobility at times against Becker.

Nishikori may have been well accustomed to competing in Tokyo, but so was his final opponent. The No. 8-ranked Raonic had not dropped a set all week en route to his third straight championship match in the Japanese capital. The Canadian was also looking to avenge his defeat to Nishikori in the first of those finals in 2012.

With Typhoon Phanfone forecast to bring heavy rains to Tokyo, Nishikori and Raonic’s final took place under a closed roof, but the change in conditions did not stop either player from competing well with the trophy on the line. Just as in the 2012 final, Nishikori clinched a tight first set in a tie-break before Raonic hit back to force a decider. Again it was Nishikori, roared on by his home fans, who found something extra at the death for a 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4 victory.

_{^{Nishikori and Milos Raonic embrace at the net after their 2014 Tokyo final clash. Photo Credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images}}

With his triumph, Nishikori sealed his fourth tour-level trophy of 2014, a tally that remains his personal best in a single ATP Tour season, and improved to 4-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with his Top 10 rival Raonic. After tearfully hugging his coach Michael Chang in the stands, an emotional Nishikori acknowledged how tough it had been to recover from his US Open disappointment.

"It has been incredible, and I think this is the first time I have won two weeks in a row," he said. "After the US Open, it was hard to maintain the motivation. Being in the first final of a Grand Slam was my dream, so it was tough to change mentally."

Nishikori’s Tokyo win contributed to him qualifying for the 2014 Nitto ATP Finals. Competing for the first time at the prestigious season finale in London, he defeated Andy Murray and David Ferrer before falling to Djokovic in the semi-finals. His career-best 54-14 season ultimately helped him reach his current career-high of No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings in March 2015.

This year, the 34-year-old Nishikori returns to Tokyo for his ninth appearance at the hard-court ATP 500, and his first since he reached his third final in 2018 (l. to Medvedev). The home favourite has played just 11 tournaments since 2021 due to injuries, but will no doubt seek to channel his trusty home support to improve on his 20-6 record at a tournament where his legacy has already been cemented.