by Hanlon Walsh
Professional tennis careers are rarely linear. Some players rise as junior prodigies, turning pro at a young age, while others take the college route to develop both on and off the court. No matter the trajectory, nearly every player faces injury setbacks that can sideline them for months—or even years.
Three remaining players who are each vying for the US Clay title this week - Kei Nishikori, Mackie McDonald, and Jenson Brooksby - know this all too well.
Nishikori, 35, was once a teenage sensation, winning his first ATP title at 18 and breaking barriers as the highest-ranked Asian male player in ATP history. Competing at the peak of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era, he reached a career-high ranking of No. 4. Now, 14 years after finishing runner-up at River Oaks in 2011, he returns with a new perspective following multiple surgeries that kept him off the tour for nearly five years.
McDonald, two weeks shy of his 30th birthday, is considered a late bloomer in pro tennis standards. He took a far different path than Nishikori, playing college tennis at UCLA before turning pro. After winning both the NCAA singles and doubles titles in 2016, he steadily climbed the rankings and eventually broke into the top 40 seven years later at 28—only to suffer his second major injury setback, dropping outside the top 150.
Brooksby, 24, first peaked on tour years ago as a ripe 20-year-old, cracking the top 40 and making three ATP finals along the way. After missing tour action from 2022-2024, he returned this January and has since been steadily climbing back up the ATP rankings. On Wednesday, Brooksby advanced to the US Clay quarterfinals as a wildcard qualifying entrant, notching his fourth consecutive match win.
We caught up with the trio of players as they prepared for the 2025 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship to discuss each of their unique journeys.
How have your injury experiences shaped you into the player you are today?
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Nishikori: It’s been a tough journey with a few surgeries that kept me out of the game for a total of 4-5 years. Sometimes I lose my motivation and mentally it’s not easy to keep the level up all the time. I’m more mature and relaxed than I used to be. In my 20s, I was more intense and thinking only about tennis and the outcome of my matches. Now I still have the same passion for tennis, but I am a more well rounded person because I’ve had more time off the tour than most players due to my injuries.
McDonald: Tennis is not very forgiving; that’s one thing I’ve learned. It’s pretty normal on tour though because the game keeps getting more and more physical, so inevitably more guys will continue facing physical challenges and injury setbacks similar to what I’ve had to go through. I’m also pretty persistent and luckily with each injury, I’ve managed to come back pretty quickly.
Brooksby: I’ve learned that my competitive nature is still here even after being away from tour for the last three seasons. I didn’t think I would lose it fully, but with so much time away from tour, it can take time to find it again. Now I feel like I’m able to dictate points better on my own terms instead of playing more neutral points like I used to a few years ago.
What advice would you give to other players going through similar injury challenges?
Nishikori: Every day you can make small changes even if you don’t see immediate results. You’re still making changes and working hard. I’ve spent a lot of my comeback time in the gym which has helped make me stronger on court. I took my time regaining my strength in the gym, though, and think it’s important to be patient. A lot of players try to come back too soon and end up getting hurt again or not seeing the results they want at first.
McDonald: Keep your head up and just figure it out and find a way to move forward every day. Get good resources and find help where you can along the way. You’ve just got to keep getting up every day and fighting.
Brooksby: I would say be patient, which I know is a cliche and hard to do when you’re in the moment. It’s also important to find other hobbies or activities to stay engaged and help pass the time. It’s difficult to get the disappointing thoughts of not being on tour out of your mind, especially at first.
What are your goals for the rest of 2025 and beyond?
Nishikori: My goal at the beginning of the year was to get inside the top 50, and I feel like I am getting close to reaching that now that I’m currently ranked 66. So now I’d say my goal before the end of the year would be to get back inside the top 30 or 40.
McDonald: Right now, I just cracked the top 100 again and am mainly happy to be back at the ATP Tour level instead of playing on the ATP Challenger Tour. It’s a massive difference and I know this is where I belong, so feel fortunate to be playing at this level. I’d like to continue climbing and get back to the top 40 where I was in 2023-2024 before I got hurt last year.
Brooksby: My main goal is simply having a fully healthy year and not missing any tournaments due to injury or retirement. That’s been my biggest challenge I had during the few years I was fully on tour. For ranking goals, I don’t have a firm number in mind but I am trying to focus on short-term goals week to week. I’m overall more process-oriented with my goals instead of outcome-oriented.
Up Next
Brooksby advanced to the quarterfinals on Wednesday with a signature three-set win over No. 3 Alejandro Tabilo, saving three match points along the way, while Nishikori and McDonald will attempt to join Brooksby in the quarterfinals during second round play on Thursday. Eighth-seeded Nishikori will face American Christopher Eubanks, while McDonald takes on close friend and fourth seed Brandon Nakashima.
