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Former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori was spotted training with Casper Ruud at the Miami Gardens in Florida, USA.
Nishikori was last seen competing at the Atlanta Open 2023, where he reached the quarterfinals. He has been sidelined since then due to recurring injury concerns and is yet to make an appearance on tour.
After a seven-month spell on the road to recovery, the Japanese player recently announced his return at the Miami Open 2024. He was spotted during a training session with Casper Ruud on the practice courts of the Miami Open arena.
A snippet of his training can be seen below:
Nishikori will be making his 12th appearance at the Miami Open this year. He has a remarkable record at the ATP 1000 event, amassing 22 wins from 32 matches and a runner-up finish in 2016.
The 34-year-old took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share an upbeat message for his fans ahead of his return.
"So great to be back at the Miami Open," Kei Nishikori said
Nishikori had been going through recurring injury issues for the past two and a half years. In an interview with the ATP last year, he credited the Big four, including the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for helping him to stay on course toward his recovery.
“It was tough to maintain the motivation, but I just wanted to play tennis again and compete again. Especially watching Djokovic, Rafa still playing, fighting," Kei Nishikori said
"I haven’t played against Alcaraz, Rune and can't wait to play against them. I think I just need to play with those top-50 players again. I just need to get used to playing with those guys and get confidence again,” he added
Kei Nishikori will take on Sebastian Ofner in R1 of the Miami Open 2024
Kei Nishikori will square off against Sebastian Ofner in the first round of the Miami Open 2024. The head-to-head between the duo is poised at 0-0.
While Nishikori will make his first appearance on the men's tour in seven months, Ofner will enter Miami on the back of early exits at the Indian Wells and the Phoenix Challenger 2024.
The German made a promising start to the season and chalked up a semifinal appearance at the Hong Kong Open. However, he hasn't been able to make a significant impact since then.
Ofner will be determined to present a stern challenge to Nishikori and make a deep run in Miami. The duo is scheduled to play on Wednesday (March 20).
