The first Grand Slam of the 2025 season, the Australian Open, kicks off on January 12th. WOWOW will broadcast the first Grand Slam of the year live every day, and WOWOW On Demand will broadcast live all courts and all matches. Men's singles player Yoshihito Nishioka, who announced his marriage to freelance announcer Saya Hiyama in December last year, spoke about his enthusiasm in an interview with WOWOW.
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--First of all, congratulations. You're getting married and entering a new season, but do you feel any differently about it?
Thank you. I was in both Brisbane (ATP250) and Adelaide (ATP250), but I don't feel a big difference. However, I've always placed emphasis on "working hard on my own," but now that I'm with more people, I feel a sense of pressure in a good way. I've had many moments where I felt it was great to have people following me and supporting me. I think 2025 will be a new year.
How did you spend your off-season and what kind of training did you do?
I was injured in Shanghai (ATP1000) in October and had about a month off. Since I had been unable to play tennis for a long time, I talked about taking an earlier period than the pattern of "taking a break in November and going on in December" (like other players), and instead I considered October to be my off-season, and then I started training.
However, if I didn't play at all, there were about three months until the Australian Open, so I decided to play in Yokkaichi (ATP Challenger). When I went to Yokkaichi, I had adjusted my body, but I had a misalignment, or rather, I had a pulled right abdominal muscle, so I was protecting that part, and there was an error in my movement. I'm glad I played there. If I hadn't played there, I think I might have hurt myself again at this time. When I tried various things in Yokkaichi as part of my rehabilitation, my lower back started to hurt. Of course, it doesn't affect me that much now. I'm glad I was able to adjust my body in Yokkaichi.
The season has begun, how are you feeling physically?
I'm playing really good tennis. I was really close to winning against Lafechuca (in Brisbane). My tennis is of course getting better, but the overall level is also rising, so I'm getting pushed back more and more. But I think I'm making more good plays, and I'm thinking about how to compete with the better players.
I've always thought that I've had good points in terms of game-making, so I've been making good use of that while also gradually making adjustments since last year, such as changing my forehand. Last week (in Adelaide), Kokkinakis played a really good match, and I think I had some chances, but he played well from start to finish, so I lost. It's not that I played bad tennis, but rather that my opponent played really well. It's not that I think my tennis is bad, but rather that I'm gradually improving in a good way.
--Your first-round opponent is a player who advanced through the qualifying rounds (A. Dugaz). Do you have any information about him?
I've heard he has a good serve. His average speed was about 180km, so rather than a big serve, I think he's good at controlling and mixing up the types of shots. His top speed is about 210km, which is about 30km faster than his average, so I think he's a player who can use the different types of shots well and take advantage of being left-handed. I think his strokes are like those on clay. His forehands are spin-based, and his backhands go in, but they don't seem to be that big. I think he'll play tennis by working hard from behind.
--Is there anything you keep in mind in order to win?
I think the only time I'll take the initiative is when my opponent starts with a good serve. I don't think I'll be beaten much in stroke matches, so I want to take the initiative little by little without rushing. I don't think there's any need to push myself too hard, but since I have no experience playing against them, I'll start by seeing how things go. I'll see how far my opponent can push me, and if I am pushed, I'll change my response, but if I'm not pushed, I'll reduce the risks and control my opponent, forcing him to do whatever he wants.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm.
Last year, I had a hard time winning Grand Slams, so this year I want to earn points at Grand Slams as well. If I don't win at Grand Slams, my ranking won't go up, so I want to focus on Grand Slams. I also want to go around the tour with the goal of getting back into the top 30.
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At the Australian Open, Kei Nishikori, Taro Daniel, and Naomi Osaka, Moeka Uchijima, and Nao Hibino will compete in the men's singles, and the women's singles will feature Naomi Osaka, Moeka Uchijima, and Nao Hibino. WOWOW will broadcast the event live every day from January 12th to 26th (Sunday). WOWOW On Demand will broadcast live all courts and all matches.
