Kei Nishikori believes that he will be fully recovered from injury in time to target a gold medal at next month’s Rio Olympics.
The world No.6 hasn’t played a match since his withdrawal from the Wimbledon Championships due to a rib injury. The Japanese player picked up the injury shortly before the Gerry Weber Open in Halle and aggravated it during his last-16 clash with Marin Cilic at the grass-court major. Despite the recent woes, the former US Open runner-up is confident that he will be fully fit in time for the start of the North American hard-court swing.
“I’m getting better with each day. I plan to be up and running from Toronto,” Nishikori recently said.
This summer Nishikori will be hoping to make Olympic history by becoming the first Japanese tennis player to win a medal in the Open Era and the first since 1920. This year will be Nishikori’s third consecutive Olympics. In 2012 he achieved his best result at the event by reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Juan Martin del Potro.
“When you get in the Olympics, it gives you different feelings because you carry your country on your back,” Nishikori said about playing in the four-year sporting extravaganza.
“So hopefully, I will bring some good news to my country.”
A gold medal isn’t the only thing that Nishikori is hoping to get during his time in Rio de Janeiro. He believes that staying in the Olympic village and meeting fellow athletes could help inspire his performance as a tennis player.
“At the Olympics, you have some rare chances to be at the athletes village, attend the opening ceremony and exchange with athletes of other sports. I think I could get inspired for my game through those opportunities.” The 26-year-old said.
A lot has happened for the world No.6 since his first round defeat at the 2008 Olympics, an experience which he still calls ‘a bitter taste in his mouth’. Becoming the first Japanese player in history to play in a grand slam final at the 2014 US Open, he has also won 11 titles. There are also no signs of him slowing down in the future, Nishikori has already outlined his intentions to play at the 2020 Olympics games in his home country.
“It’s still four years away so it’s kind of hard to say,” Nishikori was quoted by the The Japan Times.
“But I’m really looking forward to it since I’ll be at my peak as a tennis player.”
Nishikori will return to the tour in less than two weeks time at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
