Kei Nishikori makes feelings clear on Joao Fonseca's tennis future

In a recent interview, Kei Nishikori opened up about Joao Fonseca's future in tennis. The Japanese player finished his 2025 season after the Yokohama Challenger in November.

In the tournament, Nishikori reached the quarterfinal round, where he played against Kaichi Uchida. The latter dominated the round and prevailed over him, 6-2, 6-2.

Currently in his off-season, Nishikori sat for an interview with Wowow News and discussed the upcoming 2026 season. Moreover, he also talked about Fonseca's career in tennis. Lauding the latter's skills, the Japanese player said:

"His ball is fast and heavy. He also has a good angle, so I think he's a player who plays well. He's incredibly powerful and has a pretty good serve, so I think he's a symbol of today's young tennis players. If he could just reduce his mistakes a little more, I think he could easily get into the top 10, or even the top 5, and I think he has the personality to reach the top," said Kei Nishikori.

Nishikori also shared his opinions on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He said that they remind him of Roger Federer.

Kei Nishikori opened up about cheating on his wife with an apology note

Cincinnati Open 2025 - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Outside of his tennis heroics, Kei Nishikori faced a tough situation in his personal relationship. He came clean about cheating on his wife, Mai Yamauchi, in June this year. He opened up about having an affair with a 32-year-old Japanese model and said that he was not proud of his dishonesty.

Taking to his social media, Nishikori posted an emotional apology note, expressing regret for his actions. He said that he would work on rebuilding trust and focus on his tennis career.

“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.

He added:

“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.”

Kei Nishikori opened his 2025 season by competing at the Hong Kong Open. He reached the final round, where he contested against Alexandre Muller but lost the match 6-2, 1-6, 3-6.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam