Kei Nishikori has withdrawn from the Australian Open as he continues to recover from a hip injury, the 32-year-old announced Thursday.
Nishikori, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 shortly after becoming the first man from Asia to reach a major final at the 2014 U.S. Open, has been plagued by injuries in recent years and struggled to maintain consistency.
"Since the end of last year I have been struggling with my hip," Nishikori, currently ranked 47th, said on Twitter. "It is not 100% recovered yet and I will have to pull out of the Aussie swing.
"This is very disappointing as the Australian Open feels like my "home" Grand Slam ... And can't wait to be back next year."
Nishikori suffered a first-round exit in last year's Australian Open. This year's tournament begins Jan. 17.