World No.5 Kei Nishikori admits he is suffering from a hip injury ahead of the Australian Open, but expects to be able to compete.
“I hurt it (the hip) during the match yesterday, in the final. It’s not too bad, but obviously I needed some rest. It was a really tough tournament … I used a lot of energy on the court.”
Despite the injury, he was able to compete well in Brisbane, defeating Stan Wawrinka, before going down in the final in three sets to Grigor Dimitrov.
Nishikori indicated that his injury relates to his hip. Nishikori struggled with a similar injury last season, which forced him to pull out of Halle, and then retire at Wimbledon in the fourth round. Nishikori also retired from Wimbledon in 2015.
Nishikori, though dominant at ATP events, has often struggled for fitness when it comes to Grand Slam events. If his hip injury is serious then it may be difficult for the Japanese star to figure in the reckoning for the title in Melbourne. Given that he has been hit by hip injuries before including last season, then it is possible that he may need surgery as it seems to be a recurring issue.
