Kei Nishikori Injury: Updates on Star's Calf and Return

Mike ChiariJul 1, 2015

One of the top contenders in the men's singles field at Wimbledon is now out of the equation as fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw Wednesday due to injury.

Continue for updates.

Nishikori Out of Wimbledon with Calf Ailment

Wednesday, July 1

Nishikori entered Wimbledon looking to improve upon his career-best foray into the fourth round last year, but the 25-year-old budding star won't get that opportunity.

According to Wimbledon's official Twitter account, the Japanese upstart was forced to withdraw from the tournament prior to his second-round match against Santiago Giraldo Wednesday with a left calf injury.

Nishikori was pushed to the limit in his opening-round match against Simone Bolelli as it went five sets before he ultimately prevailed. While Nishikori acknowledged that he was dealing with an ailment, he wasn't concerned about it knocking him out of the event, per Reuters (h/t South China Morning Post):

"It's a little bit sore from last week but it's getting better and it wasn't easy to play for three hours but it should be okay for the next match," Nishikori said.

Nishikori apparently underestimated the severity of his injury, and he will now be forced to watch the remainder of the tournament unfold from the outside looking in.

Although Nishikori is one of the top young players in men's tennis as evidenced by his run to the U.S. Open final in 2014, he has been plagued by injuries over the course of his career.

Craig Gabriel of Cross-Court Promotions doesn't see that changing any time soon either:

Nishikori would have had his hands full in terms of making a run at the Wimbledon title with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer all playing well, but he almost certainly would have been a tough draw.

Withdrawing was probably the right move in terms of self-preservation, though, especially since bowing out early gives him a chance to heal up and prepare for the U.S. Open, having nearly won it last year.

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