ASTANA – Kazakh tennis players showcased remarkable achievements this year. In the Billie Jean King Cup’s team championship, the national women’s team secured a place among the top eight globally, while the men’s team achieved historic significance by qualifying for the Juniors Davis Cup for the first time.
Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation
Women’s team: aces and achievements
Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan’s highest-ranked tennis player, achieved noteworthy successes, including a singles quarterfinal victory at the Australian Open 2023. Her exceptional serve earned her the title of the fastest serve in the tournament, and she topped the ace count among women. Rybakina continued her successful streak by reaching the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) -1000 event and securing the third position in the WTA rankings.
Elena Rybakina. Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation
In April, she contributed to the team’s victory against Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup match. Rybakina, with 349 aces, claimed the top spot in the WTA Tour’s ace count. Currently, she holds the fourth position in the WTA rankings and is among the world’s top-earning female athletes.
Meanwhile, Yulia Putintseva achieved significant victories, defeating a Grand Slam champion in February and winning tournaments in September and October. She is currently holding the 69th position in the WTA rankings. Anna Danilina entered the top doubles players’ rankings early in the year and later won the mixed doubles final at the United States Open-2023. She is currently ranked 56th in the WTA.
Other Kazakh players, including Zhibek Kulambayeva, Gozal Ainitdinova, and Sandugash Kenzhibayeva, also secured victories, contributing to the overall success of Kazakh tennis in 2023. The women’s team reached the eighth position in the Billie Jean King Cup, outperforming teams from Germany, Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Poland, and others, ultimately finishing ninth in the world rankings. The highest historical ranking for the Kazakh women’s team was seventh, achieved in April of the current year.
Men’s team of Kazakhstan
The top player in the men’s team, Alexander Bublik, reached the 36th position in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings in January. Bublik secured a place in the top 50 of the ATP rankings by reaching the second round of the tournament in Rotterdam in February. In October, Bublik became the champion of the ATP 250 tournament in Antwerp and is currently ranked 32nd in the world.
Alexander Bublik. Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation
The year began with a determined victory for Kazakh player Timofey Skatov, who defeated the 102nd-ranked player in the ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Concepcion, Chile. Skatov is currently ranked 214th in the ATP rankings.
Beibit Zhukayev reached the final of a tournament in Switzerland in March, as well as the final of the qualification for a tournament in France, winning a tournament in Shanghai in autumn. Zhukayev is currently ranked 189th in the world.
In the summer, Dastan Niyazov won a silver medal in the wheelchair tennis tournament in Alghero, currently ranking 68th in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles rankings.
Timofey Skatov. Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation
Denis Yevseyev, Andrey Golubev, Aleksandr Nedovyesov, Dmitry Popko, and Mikhail Kukushkin also showcased notable performances in various tournaments, contributing to the overall success of the men’s team.
Juniors: future champions in the making
The Junior team achieved significant results, including the victory of Aya Nupbai and Asylzhan Arystanbekova at the J200 Delhi tournament, a second-category event in the capital of India. In September, Arystanbekova secured her first ITF Juniors title. Later, she and Nupbai won the J300 Thailand – ITF Juniors Championship B1 tournament in Nonthaburi, Thailand, a second-category event in the ITF Juniors series. This marked their 11th joint ITF Juniors doubles title.
Amir Omarkhanov and Asylzhan Arystanbekova. Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
Vitaliy Zatsepin, a 16-year-old tennis player from Karaganda, became the champion in the doubles category at the ITF Juniors J200 international championship.
Temirlan Karim held the top spot among players under 16 in the Asian ATF rankings, and several Kazakh female players excelled in the top ten, including Safina Safiulina in second place, Ariana Gogulina in fourth, Danaiya Amangazhiyeva in seventh, Polina Sleptsova in eighth, and Yerkezhan Zhanatayeva in ninth.
Eva Korysheva triumphed in the Tennis Europe series, and Albina Kakenova won her debut title in the ITF Juniors series.
The junior team qualified for the Juniors Davis Cup for the first time in history, defeating the Australian team with a score of 2:0. In various tournaments, including the ITF Juniors J60, Amir Omarkhanov showcased his talent by winning titles in both singles and doubles categories.
In November, the Kazakh team made its debut in the Junior World Team Championship among players under 16 in Cordoba, Spain, entering the top ten.
The article was originally published in Kazinform.
