Kei Nishikori says he harbours hopes of regaining his position in the top five, but he knows he will need to be tougher to get there.
Nishikori has endured a torrid time with injuries in recent years after being world number four in 2015.
He looked a lot closer to his old self against David Goffin in Dubai, though, beating the in-form Belgian in straight sets.
And, with confidence starting to flow again, Kei Nishikori is setting himself some lofty goals.
“If I want to come back to my level before, I have to be tough,” he said.
“You have to think more, and you have many more expectations. But the way I think now, is [that] this is my second [career] journey.
“I had elbow surgery two years ago, a shoulder injury last year and couldn’t play three or four months. I’ve had many injuries.
“I have to be happy, and I’ve been playing well [over] the past two weeks.
“My goal is to return to the Top 10, [the] Top 5 hopefully. I think it will be a long way back, because everyone is playing well.
“I have to step up more against Top 50 opponents, but I’ve been enjoying the challenge.”
