Now that he's the first man from Asia to make it to the final of a Grand Slam singles tournament, his profile -- and that of his sport -- figures to grow exponentially in his home country. Even though he hasn't lived there for years, the nation is watching as he heads into Monday's final against Marin Cilic.
"Even from 17, 18, from when he won his first title, it's been sometimes even a bit over-the-top, maybe all a bit too early," said Nishikori's agent, Olivier Van Lindonk.
"They are so intrigued by their heroes that they want to know everything," Van Lindonk said. "I've heard so many questions about: When did he eat? When did he go to bed?"
Nishikori's surprising 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over No. 1-ranked and seven-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals began at about 1 a.m. Sunday in Japan, but people across the country stayed awake to keep track.
When the match ended, Nishikori told the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium during an on-court interview: "I hope it's big news in Japan. ... I feel the support from Japan. ... It's 4 o'clock in the morning, but I hope a lot of people watched it."
They did. As soon as he checked his phone, Nishikori found 20 messages from folks in Japan, despite the hour. Hundreds of fans celebrated after following along on television at a hotel in Nishikori's hometown of Matsue, a sleepy town with a population of less than 200,000.
