A plethora of injuries have resulted in Kei Nishikori falling down the rankings and dropping out of the spotlight in recent years. However, the Japanese star is back in the limelight after his latest win over Marin Cilic in the Japan Open. It is largely due to this fixture invoking memories of their famous 2014 US Open final battle.
As a result, followers of the 34-year-old have taken a keen interest in getting to know more about his wife – Mai Yamauchi. Having an introverted personality, Nishikori is free from a controversial life. Hence, Yamauchi and his name aren’t often brought up in many conversations.
While the two have been in a relationship since 2015, they only tied the knot four years ago and are enjoying their life in Japan, sharing a five-year-old son.
By getting married during the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple was unable to have an elaborate function to celebrate their big day. Hence, they’ve renewed their vows on numerous occasions since then.
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Like Nishikori, Yamauchi is also a popular figure in Japan, well-known for her stint as a model. Before she put an end to her career as a model, Yamauchi was better known by her nickname – Ako Mizuki.
Yamauchi, choosing to keep details of her life private, does not have any social media platforms nor does she travel with her husband to different tournaments around the world.
The 12-time ATP title winner has had a respectable career, accumulating more than $25 million in career earnings. His resurgence as of late — making a quarterfinal appearance in the Canadian Open 2024 — has helped him to regain his rhythm.
Using the success at the North American swing as motivation, the former World No.4 will hope to make a deep run in his ongoing home tournament.
Following a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Cilic, Nishikori advanced to the Round of 16. He will closely follow the final match of the first day of the ATP 500 event as he is set to face the winner of the Casper Ruud-Jordan Thompson battle.
Fans can catch this exciting second-round encounter on ESPN and also stream it live on Tennis TV on Friday (timings to be disclosed). Even though Nishikori will undoubtedly be the underdog in the next round, he will have the full backing of the entire crowd.
