Nishikori calls time on 2019 campaign

Japan’s Kei Nishikori has been forced to end his 2019 campaign to undergo surgery on his elbow. The world number seven has struggled for form in 2019, failing to get past the quarter-finals at any of the four Grand Slams, while he hasn’t reached an ATP Tour final since winning the Brisbane International in January. His lack of form recently led Nishikori to announce that he would be parting ways with long-term coach Dante Bottini as he seeks an improvement next term. Nishikori’s last outing came when he crashed out of the US Open in the third round last month and he was set to play in the Davis Cup for Japan next month. However, his manager, Olivier van Lindonk, has confirmed the 29-year-old won’t be involved as he undergoes a “small procedure removing two small bone spurs”. The Japanese star has withdrawn from five tournaments in 2019, complaining of an issue with his elbow, and Van Lindonk admitted he was trying to manage the problem. “He has tried to heal this with rest,” Van Lindonk said. “But time has proven that rest & rehab was not enough.”