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Kei Nishikori just came clean about cheating on his wife, Mai Yamauchi, after reports of him being involved with a 32-year-old model from Japan. In an emotional apology, he admitted to having an affair and said he’s not proud of what he’s done, especially the pain it’s caused his wife.
Nishikori has been away from the ATP Tour, recovering from a back injury in Japan that led him to withdraw from the French Open. While he’s been off the court, Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported that he has been secretly involved with model Oguchi Azuki, despite being married to Yamauchi.
The former World No. 4 has now issued an apology to his wife, whom he married in 2020 and shares two children with, as well as to those close to him. He expressed regret for the pain he had caused and vowed to work on rebuilding the trust he had broken, while shifting his focus back to tennis.
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“I deeply apologise for causing discomfort to everyone who supports me; tennis fans, tennis associations, sponsors, and other related parties, and for their concern and inconvenience due to my dishonest behavior. In addition, I deeply regret that I made my wife, children, and each ‘parent’ feel hurt,” Kei Nishikori said (via Shukan Bunshun).
“From now on, in order to fulfill my life as a responsible member of society, I will solely focus on tennis competitions and produce results. We will do our best to regain your trust,” he added,
According to the report, Kei Nishikori first met Oguchi Azuki in 2022 while playing a tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, just days before his wedding reception. Their relationship reportedly ended a year later after Oguchi’s then-boyfriend found out and confronted Nishikori. The matter was eventually settled through legal negotiations.
However, despite things cooling off for a while, Nishikori and Oguchi rekindled their relationship last year and have been meeting in secret since then. Most recently, on the night of June 11 this year, the two were reportedly seen together at her apartment.
Kei Nishikori has no plans of retiring anytime soon
Kei Nishikori hasn’t revealed when he’ll return to the tour or shared much about his recovery progress. However, if his comments from an April interview with the ATP are any indication, retirement isn’t on his mind just yet. At the time, he said his main goal was to win at least one more tournament.
Nishikori said:
"It’s been a long time coming, but I’m feeling good physically. I had some rehab on my shoulder over the past few weeks, but it’s feeling fresh — and I’m excited to play again."
“I’ve set some goals. One was to be back in the Top 50 and I’m nearly there. It would be nice to maybe win another tournament, but we’ll see," he added.
In 2025, Kei Nishikori has played nine tournaments so far, with his only Grand Slam appearance coming at the Australian Open back in January. He had a solid run in two events, reaching the final at the Hong Kong Open and making the semifinals at a Challenger in Phoenix.
