Under the terms of his contract with a noodle company that sells 'instant ramen' in a cup, Japan's leading player is supposed to be addressed -- whether competing in a Davis Cup tie against Great Britain, or in any other event -- as Nissin Kei Nishikori.

Does that make him the first tennis player to have sold his naming rights? Perhaps, but, more importantly. having been associated with the company since 2008, Nishikori's arrangement is an indication of his commercial ambitions, as well as his stature in the market.

Here is someone held in such high esteem by another of his sponsors -- a manufacturer of sanitaryware -- that it presented him with a golden toilet.

For all the expectations and pressures on Andy Murray, whom Nishikori is set to meet in the Davis Cup in Birmingham this week, they don't quite compare to the hopes, dreams and money invested in Japan's leading man.

The burden on him comes with the territory of being the only Asian man to compete in a Grand Slam singles final, as well as the first player to be ranked in the Top 10.

The 2014 US Open finalist has such an extensive portfolio of sponsors that he is earning a level of off-court money to almost rival the gilded members of the Big Four, with some estimates putting his deals at around £14.4 million a year ($20m). At least a dozen companies have a claim on Nishikori's time, with the 26-year-old expected to be one of the faces of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

On their most recent list of the most marketable athletes in the world, Sports Pro magazine put Nishikori in eighth position, with the publication also noting recently that his contract extension with clothing supplier Uniqlo will be worth around £36m ($50m) over a number of years; his annual fee is reported to be higher than that being paid to Novak Djokovic.

Murray v Nishikori - Financial head-to-head Despite outstripping Nishikori in career earnings and prize money last season, Murray is only slightly ahead in terms of endorsements. Andy Murray Kei Nishikori Career prize money $43.6m (£31.4m) $11.7m (£8.5m) 2015 prize money $8.7m (£6.3m) $3.3m (£2.4m) 2015 endorsements* $16m (£11.5m) $15m (£10.8m) *Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Athletes list, 2014-2015

"Kei's commercial success has to do with a variety of factors. The fact that there had never previously been a Japanese male tennis player in the Top 10 has made an incredible impact on Kei's business platform," Nishikori's manager, Olivier van Lindonk, told ESPN.

"Other additional factors are that he is part of an exciting new generation of players, plus he is one of Asia's biggest athletes, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are around the corner, and he has an enormous fan and media following."

By only scheduling his commercial activity for certain times of the year, Nishikori avoids distraction. "Kei's focus is, and always will be, his tennis first," Van Lindonk said. "We set aside three blocks a year, which are each four or five days long, in which Kei takes care of all his shoots and commercial responsibilities.

"We plan this very carefully -- sometimes up to a year in advance -- so that it never interferes with his tournament or training schedule."

Such is the hysteria when Nishikori returns to Japan that the tournament director of the Tokyo Open won't publicise Nishikori's practice times for fear of causing a crush at the courts. As Nishikori has said, it can be "crazy" on those trips.

"For the most part, I just tell Kei that dealing with this pressure is part of the territory for being one of the best in the world," Nishikori's coach, the former French Open champion Michael Chang, told ESPN. "You need to find a balance but at the same time, you also need to keep things in proper perspective.

Andy Murray leads Kei Nishikori 5-1 in their head-to-head. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

"How important is what everyone else says? And more importantly, how much pressure do I put on myself? And is that realistic or the right thing to do?"

Chang described Nishikori as being "on the shy, quiet side -- although he does become quite talkative around his Japanese friends".

One way that Nishikori protects himself is by living in the United States, in Florida, rather than in Japan. "If I stayed in Japan, I think I would go crazy," he has said. "By living in the US, I can concentrate on my tennis and I can practise and play all day, and that's something you have to do.

"If I stayed in Japan, there are lots of things that I couldn't do. You have to keep on training hard and don't allow yourself to be distracted, and to remind yourself that you're working hard because you're chasing a dream."

Another approach is to constantly remind himself why he is competing. "You have to remember that you're playing for yourself and not for anyone else; that will help you to deal with the pressure from the public."

Since that deep run at the 2014 US Open, where he was the runner-up to Croatia's Marin Cilic, Nishikori hasn't featured in another Grand Slam final.

After making the quarterfinals of last season's Australian Open and Roland Garros, he was beaten in the second round of Wimbledon and then didn't win a match on his return to Flushing Meadows.

This year's Australian Open saw him make the quarterfinals. But don't imagine that Nishikori, once ranked as high as fourth in the world, is no longer a force at the top of the game.

Kei Nishikori with coach Michael Chang ahead of the Australian Open. Michael Dodge/Getty Images

At 5-foot-10, Nishikori isn't as physically imposing as many others on the Tour, but he has made his speed around the court a weapon, and he has also considerable belief in his game, helped by the encouragement of his coach Chang, who was just 17 years old when he won the 1989 French Open.

In Nishikori's mind, his fame has grown and grown in recent years. But it's still possible for him to become an even bigger figure. Winning a Grand Slam would launch him even further into the stratosphere.

"There are many things that Kei still needs to improve upon, but one aspect that could really help him win a slam would be his serve. It's improved a lot over the past couple of years but it still needs to get better and more consistent," Chang said. "Kei has gained a great deal of confidence from the 2014 US Open.

"Overall though, he is no longer surprised by winning tournaments or playing well in them anymore. I tell him that this should be his attitude as he is one of the best players in the world."