Former No.4 Nishikori to end long ATP Tour layoff in Atlanta
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Nishikori will return to ATP Tour competition at next month's Atlanta Open.
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Japan's Kei Nishikori, a former world number four and the 2014 US Open runner-up, will return to ATP Tour competition at next month's Atlanta Open, tournament officials said Tuesday.
The 33-year-old, a 12-time ATP winner and 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist, has not played since undergoing surgery last year on his left hip.
His most recent ATP start was at Indian Wells in October 2021. His most recent title came in January 2019 at Brisbane.
The Atlanta Open, a hard-court event, will be played July 24-30 with six-time winner John Isner, fellow American and world number nine Taylor Fritz and defending champion Alex de Minaur of Australia also in the field.
Nishikori, ranked 493rd in the world, began his comeback on the Challenger Tour earlier this month. Despite a 20-month layoff, he dropped only one set on his way to capturing the title at the Caribbean Open Challenger in Puerto Rico.
