Kei Nishikori has confessed that he "never expected" to make such an impact on men's tennis this year.
The Japanese player won titles in Memphis, Barcelona, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo, as well as reaching the final of the US Open, only to lose out to Marin Cilic.
Reflecting on his performances throughout 2014, the world number five has revealed his surprise.
"I never expected to come this far. My goal after last season was to get into the top 10 and make the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, but I surpassed them both," he told the Japan Times.
"I managed to win a lot of matches on clay in Barcelona and Madrid and reached a Grand Slam final at the US Open, and I wasn't expecting to do either. I got stronger as the season wore on in the second half and I have to admit, I'm surprised by the success I had this year."
Nishikori also featured at the recent season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, where he was defeated at the semi-final stage by world number one and eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Liam Apicella
