Michael Chang helping Kei Nishikori reach the top

For years after his retirement from professional tennis, Michael Chang never gave much of a thought of going into coaching. It wasn't until, in late 2013 — 10 years after stepping away from the game — that he found the right opportunity to put his expertise to good use.

When Japanese player Kei Nishikori recruited Chang for some help, Chang was curious to find out if he could help Nishikori reach an uncharted place in the game. Chang, an Asian-American from California, was intrigued by the chance to play a role in seeing an Asian-born male reach the pinnacle of the sport.

"There have been very few Asian men that have done well out on tour," Chang said Tuesday. "Women have done pretty good, (but) very few Asian men. So I thought this was an opportunity to help a young, talented player from Asia to go out and improve and get to the next level."

Nishikori, 25, enters the BNP Baribas Open as the No. 4 ranked player in the ATP Tour rankings, which is the highest an Asian-born male has reached in the sport's lengthy history. It's no coincidence that his rise from the top 20 has coincided with Chang's tenure as coach over the last year.

"For sure, he's been a big part of that," Nishikori said. "The next step is going further, so hopefully I can continue reaching for that next level over the next few years with him. I see that I'm improving, so I'm really happy with our relationship and how I am playing."

Since Chang entered the picture, Nishikori has defeated Roger Federer (then-No. 5), Novak Djokovic (1), Stan Wawrinka (4), Andy Murray (6), David Ferrer (4) five times and Milos Raonic (9) four times. He's won five tournament titles in that time, and became the first Asian-born male to reach a Grand Slam final when he played in the U.S. Open last summer.

As a result, the celebrity has grown to superstar status in Asia. Without many celebrity athletes in Japan, he is on a level in his home country even few American athletes can understand.

"The sport has definitely grown there, it's definitely become more popular," Chang said. "Certainly Kei's success is making a pretty big difference. It's creating a spark. ... Japan right now is going nuts with Kei's success."

Chang has helped with the technical side of Nishikori's game — the serve, the backhand, the dropshot — but he's also helped him with the mental side of the game, sharing trade secrets that helped Chang win 34 tournament titles.

Nishikori has always had the physical side down. He has adequate size and power, and his conditioning and quickness are elite when measured against his peers in the game. This year, he's much stronger, Chang said, and that has given him a great deal of confidence and a comfort level that has kept him from second-guessing himself on the court.

That confidence has led Nishikori to a lot of big wins in the last six months, beating just about everyone in the top 10, with the exception of Rafael Nadal.

Last week in Acapulco, Mexico, Nishikori lost in the final against Ferrer, whom he had beaten five times in 2014. Despite finally breaking through against him, Ferrer spoke this week about the growth he's seen in Nishikori's game.

"He's still improving," Ferrer said. "His game was very different from the last time I saw him, last year. He was better with his stamina and his game has improved. I had the chance to beat him in Acapulco, (but) he has a very good, strong mentality and is a very tough player."

The next step for Nishikori is winning more tournament titles and eventually taking over the top spot in the rankings, which has been occupied for years by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.

"I think his timing is actually pretty good," Chang said. "I definitely think you never want to wait for guys to decline. I think it's important to go out there and try to beat the guys in their prime."

And if Nishikori can continue doing that, a shot at the top ranking isn't out of the question.

That's what Chang had hoped to accomplish when he became Nishikori's coach in January 2014. Now, just a year later, Chang believes this is the year it could becomes a reality.

"I think, little by little," Chang said, "if he continues to improve and continues to get physically stronger, he's just going to be more and more of a threat."