Before Kei Nishikori's retirement, former Japan national team coach Satoshi Iwabuchi talks about his influence and expectations for young players

Satoshi Iwabuchi, a former member of the Japan national team in the Davis Cup, who also served as the manager, met Kei Nishikori, a promising junior during his playing days, for the first time. When they hit each other, ``I thought the timing wasn't normal. It felt strange, like I was catching the ball.''

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Iwabuchi had one tour win in doubles, but her highest world ranking in singles was 223rd. ``Everyone except Shuzo Matsuoka was having a hard time, and I was in the middle of it.'' When Nishikori grew up and won his first tour victory in 2008, he says, ``My common sense was shattered.'' On the other hand, ``It made me realize that there were some aspects that I was thinking too difficult about.'' I realized that even Japanese people can aim for the top in the world.

During his time as manager of the Davis Cup, he prioritized Nishikori's condition as he suffered many injuries. Although I didn't get to compete with him very often, I could feel his influence during practice and other activities. "He actively advises young players. The young players saw what Nishikori was doing to become stronger."

In 2023, Nishikori, whose coach at the time suddenly had to leave due to poor health, approached him and became a member of the ``team.'' After meeting him up close, he says, ``I realized that his life is 100% focused on tennis.'' Commenting on the retirement of a special player, he says, ``I wish he would do a little more.I just feel sad that I won't be able to watch him play tennis anymore.''

◇A big boost in the U.S. qualifying round

Rei Sakamoto (IMG), like Nishikori, honed his skills at the IMG Academy with support from the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund. They spent the same time together as members of the Japan national team and often practiced together outside of that. The 2024 Australian Open Junior champion just turned 20 in June of this year. At the end of August, Oki, who has a promising future, played against Nishikori in the preliminary round of the US Open and gained a lot of inspiration from the serious competition.

"Here and there, I hit winners where my legs didn't move at all." Hitting between unique points and missing the opponent's reading. His play, which was not just about power and speed, left a strong impression on me. On the other hand, he overwhelmed Nishikori with his serve, which was at his best, and said, ``If it works for Kei, it gives me confidence that it can work for anyone.'' It was Sakamoto who won the match and grabbed the ticket to the main tournament. When Nishikori expected him to be in the world's top 10, he laughed and said, ``I thought you shouldn't say it so easily,'' but he expressed his determination to surpass his seniors by saying, ``I want to win a Grand Slam. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations.''

Nishikori says that even after deciding to retire, he still had the desire to ``become better'' and ``want to win.'' I look forward to seeing how he will express his passion for tennis in the future.