Kei Nishikori: Players should be grateful we can have Australian Open

Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori claims he is doing fine in quarantine but admits he is a bit worried over having to play matches just two days after his quarantine period runs out. 

Over 70 players were placed in quarantine in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open and the top-ranked Japanese tennis player was one of those players.

"I'm fine, but I will have to play matches (ATP Cup) just two days after the end of this quarantine, I'm a bit worried if I can really play," Nishikori said on Instagram Live, as revealed by Seiadoumogera/Twitter. 

Nishikori, who was forced to skip the Australian Open last year, is aiming to play the ATP Cup and then the Australian Open.

"I'm worried about a risk of getting injured and my performance level. I want to play, so I'll do my best for that, try to stay positive," Nishikori said. 

Nishikori keeping it humble 

A number of players have complained about the conditions in quarantine but all of them will have to fulfill their 14-day quarantine period. 

"Players should be grateful we can have the event. I can't go out now, but even on the way from the airport I found many people are involved in the event, I appreciate their effort," Nishikori noted.

Nishikori is doing his best to keep himself busy while in quarantine as he works out inside his hotel rooms and tries to do some of the things he loves.

"My daily schedule is like, wake up at 9:00, take breakfast, have 2 h training, lunchtime, take a nap, then another training. I try to keep a sense of playing tennis, so I make a practice swing & fiddle with tennis balls. There is no weight, so I just do body-weight training," Nishikori revealed.

"Other than training, I watch video, read books, play video games, do stretch, I feel a day passes quickly, but still, I feel a bit bored. I can feel neither fresh air (windows don't open) nor sunshine, that's mentally tough.

"The only good thing is I'm fine!"

A day earlier, Nishikori said he was never in a situation like this before. 

"I'm now in 14-day isolation in a hotel room, that I have never experienced before. It's nothing but a risk to play matches after having two weeks w/o practice, but it can't be helped, I'm just trying to spend days positively," Nishikori said on his app.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2LFIB1G