Coaching changes are a regular occurrence in professional tennis, as demonstrated by the recent manoeuvres made by Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.
On Wednesday, Gauff parted ways with coach Matt Daly and brought in biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan.
Osaka recently split with Patrick Mouratoglou, before hiring Iga Swiatek’s former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, on a trial basis.
On Wednesday, another high-profile player announced that they would be parting ways with their coach.
This individual, a former US Open finalist, has split with his coach after working together for 18 months.
Kei Nishikori parts ways with Thomas Johansson
Kei Nishikori, former ATP number four, announced his split from coach Thomas Johansson on Tuesday.
Nishikori, the 2014 US Open Men’s Singles finalist, had worked with Johansson since February 2024.
Johansson had an extremely successful playing career before moving into coaching. He won the 2002 Australian Open before capturing a silver medal in doubles for Sweden at the 2008 Olympics, losing to Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka in the Gold Medal Match.
On X, Nishikori said: “Hi fans, just wanted to update you on my coaching situation.
“Thomas Johansson and I have decided to go our separate ways. I want to thank Thomas not only for his great tennis knowledge, but also being a great person and team member. I will keep you posted if other changes happen on my team. Thanks for the support.“
Johansson, who won nine ATP Tour-level titles during his playing career, has worked with various elite-level players during his time in the coaching sphere.
Since 2017, Johansson has worked with Maria Sakkari, Filip Krajinovic, David Goffin, Sorana Cirstea and most recently, Kei Nishikori.
During Johansson and Nishikori’s time together, the Japanese star has returned to the ATP top 100 after falling to world number 576 in 2024. Nishikori has continued to compete at the highest level, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas, Marin Cilic and Nuno Borges during Johansson’s tenure.
Nishikori withdraws from the US Open
Nishikori, who has suffered from a long list of injury issues since reaching the US Open final in 2014, has withdrawn from the 2025 US Open due to a back injury.
During his career, Nishikori has dealt with ankle, knee, groin, hip and shoulder injuries.
Posting on his X account on Wednesday, Nishikori said: “Hi fans, unfortunately I will not be ready for the U.S. Open yet.
“I had an MRI taken of my back and it’s not 100% healed yet. Working hard to be back on court soon.
“Thanks for the support.
