May 1 (Reuters) - Kei Nishikori will ⁠hang up his racquet at the end of the 2026 ⁠season, the 36-year-old said on Friday, bringing down the curtain on ‌a professional career that saw him break new ground for Japanese tennis.

Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 U.S. Open ​and was the second Asian man after Thailand's ⁠Paradorn Srichaphan to make it ⁠into the top 10.

He reached a career-high ranking of number four in 2015 ⁠and ‌won 12 titles on the ATP Tour, but has been plagued by injuries for years and has fallen to 464 in ⁠the world rankings.

The last time he was ranked in ​the top 10 ‌was in October 2019 and last month he admitted he was "barely ⁠hanging on" in ​terms of physical fitness.

"Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition and maintaining a presence in the top 10 is something I am ⁠extremely proud of," Nishikori wrote in a post ​on social media.

"Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable ... To be honest, I still wish I could continue ⁠my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all.

"I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of ​the remaining matches and fight to the very ⁠end."

Nishikori's most recent appearance in a tour-level event came at last year’s ​Cincinnati Open, though he has played in five ‌Challenger events this year.

He also won a ​bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Spain's Rafael Nadal in three sets.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)