Kei Nishikori – Net Worth, Endorsements & Earnings
Kei Nishikori has been one of the most consistently good players on tour the last several years. Although not blessed with the natural size and athleticism as some of the best players in the sport, he has evolved into a legitimate threat in every single tournament he enters. His success on the court, coupled with some solid endorsement deals, has allowed him to carve out a pretty nice living with a few years still in front of him.
What is Kei Nishikori’s net worth? The net worth of Kei Nishikori is estimated to be around $35 million. The 30-year old has won just over $23 million in prize money so far in his career, thanks in large part to consistent performances making the second week of majors. He also has lucrative clothing, racquet and off-court endorsement deals to contribute to his overall wealth.
Career Prize Money Earnings
Since turning pro in 2007, Kei Nishikori has put together a very solid career. He has a career ranking high of number four in the world, and 12 singles titles to his name. His biggest payday came at the 2014 U.S. Open, where he reached the final. He lost in three sets to Marin Cilic, but it showed the world that he was capable of competing at the highest level.
Other than the final appearance at the U.S. Open, he has shown to be a consistent player reaching the Round of 16 or Quarterfinals in a lot of Grand Slams. This obviously doesn’t give the same payday as winning, but adding those up over the years is undoubtedly helping his bank account.
Here is a breakdown of how much Nishikori have earned in prize money during his career, separated by each year.
| Year | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $298K |
| 2009 | $51K |
| 2010 | $167K |
| 2011 | $745K |
| 2012 | $1.03M |
| 2013 | $1.16M |
| 2014 | $4.43M |
| 2015 | $3.04M |
| 2016 | $4.33M |
| 2017 | $1.44M |
| 2018 | $3.76M |
| 2019 | $2.14M |
He still looking for his first ATP Masters 1000 series win, as he is currently 0-4 in finals. Of course, two of those losses were to Rafael Nadal on clay, and the other two were to Novak Djokovic on hard.
He has a total of six ATP 500 Series wins, with the most recent one coming at the Washington Open in 2015. He has found a way to win at least one title on tour every year since 2011, which helps his career earnings.
Endorsements
He gets a lot of money from his earnings throughout his career so far in tennis, but he also has several lucrative sponsorship deals as the face of Japanese, and Asian, tennis. He has been the top male Asian tennis player for several years, and is considered a national hero back home.
Racquet Sponsors
The racquet of choice for Kei Nishikori has changed over the years, depending on what Wilson is currently selling. He has relied on a modified version of a nCode nTour from the company for years, but they continue to update the paint to blend in with new releases. You can read more about his racquet in this post.
His consistency on both sides of the ball is one of his true calling cards in the sport. Since he is one of the smaller players on tour, a lot of people look at his playing style like something a little more replicable than others out there.
Clothing Sponsors
Nishikori bounced around a little with clothing sponsors early on, before eventually settling with Uniqlo for the last few years. It seems like a natural fit, as the Japanese company has allowed him to get his own line of clothes for every major. Roger Federer and Nishikori are the only two players on Uniqlo‘s roster given the flexibility.
Since Uniqlo does not produce tennis shoes, he continues to wear Nike shoes. His deal with Nike is not nearly as lucrative as other tennis players, mainly because he is only wearing their logo on his feet. Nike does still get plenty out of the deal, marketing towards the Asian market. Nike will often make special colorways for him to match up with the Uniqlo outfit he is wearing. You can read more about Nishikori’s tennis shoes in this post.
Other Endorsements
Being from Japan has also allowed him to land sponsorship deals that most other players of his caliber would not be able to. He has a unique connection to the Far East, and there are not a lot of tennis players at the highest level succeeding internationally.
Some of his biggest endorsements include deals with EA Games, Delta Airlines, Japan Airlines, Nissin Foods, TAG Heuer, and LVMH Moët Hennessy. He is one of the few top players who wear advertisements on their sleeves for some of his sponsors. Cup Noodles is one of the most common companies featured on his sleeve.
Future Outlook
Some people are worried that Nishikori‘s window of ever truly breaking through at a Grand Slam event is closed. Even though he made the quarterfinals of three majors in 2019, he is now 30 years old and lacking a true weapon that older players find a way to rely on. One of the first things to go is amazing speed and court coverage, which is a huge advantage for Nishikori throughout his career.
His on-court earnings might dive in the coming years, but he still has a chance to earn quite a bit as a sports hero in Japan. Winning an Olympic bronze medal in 2016 certainly helps, and he has shown to have some cross-sport appeal as well. Do not be surprised to see him stay involved in sports for years to come, even if it is largely based in his home country.
