The ATP World Tour Finals—the season-ending championship of men's tennis—begins on Sunday, November 9 in London. Over the next four days, we'll take a closer look at the seasons put forth so far by the eight singles competitors.
Rarely is the runner-up remembered beyond the week or so that follows his second-place finish. But Nishikori’s run to the final of the U.S. Open will be hard to forget. He won back-to-back four-hour, five-set epics over sixth-seeded Milos Raonic and fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, then stunned world No. 1 Novak Djokovic—along with the tennis world—with four-set win in the semis. If that’s all you know about Nishikori from 2014, that’s fine, but he also won four tournaments, made the semis in Miami, and reached final in Madrid. Add it all up and Nishikori put it all together this season, fulfilling the promise that has long been bestowed upon him as one of the most talented players in the sport. At just 5'10" and 150 pounds, Nishikori is now one of tennis' giants; at just 24, he should continue to be for years to come.
Nishikori’s U.S. Open performance was historic in terms of Japanese success in the pro game, and should inspire more youngsters to pick up the sport in the land of the rising sun.