Court 17 in New York was the setting for one of the most emotional chapters of the 2026 US Open qualifying. Rei Sakamoto defeated Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 in the qualifying final to earn his spot in the main draw. For the 36-year-old Nishikori, who had entered on a wildcard, the defeat marked the end of his Grand Slam career. The match was also the first official meeting between the two Japanese players at ATP Tour level.
Serve dominance against a legend
Sakamoto commanded the match with his serve. The 20-year-old fired 19 aces, faced virtually no break points on his own serve, and held serve on 91 percent of his service games. He won 84 percent of first-serve points and an impressive 57 percent on his second serve. Nishikori, by contrast, held serve on just 82 percent of his service games and committed four double faults. The contrast in return games was equally stark: Sakamoto won 44 percent of return points, while Nishikori managed only 27. With 33 winners to Nishikori's 14, the statistics left no doubt as to who had produced the superior tennis.
Tiebreak settles a tight second set
The first set went convincingly to Sakamoto. In the second, Nishikori navigated several critical moments and kept the match alive all the way to a tiebreak. There, however, Sakamoto took control once again, closing it out 7-3. Nishikori had saved two match points along the way, but Sakamoto remained composed and wrapped up the match with authority.
From admirer to conqueror
The backstory behind this match lent the result an extraordinary dimension. When Nishikori became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final in 2014, an eight-year-old Rei Sakamoto was watching from the stands of Arthur Ashe Stadium, witnessing history unfold. The two later became practice partners and even paired up in doubles at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo. Now, twelve years on from that final, it was Sakamoto who left his former mentor behind on the hard courts. Sakamoto, who in 2024 won the Yokkaichi Challenger to become the second-youngest Japanese champion in the tournament's history — surpassed only by Nishikori himself — continues his steady march toward the top of the game. With this match, Nishikori played his last Grand Slam fixture, bringing down the curtain on a career that permanently placed Japan on the tennis map.
