Mikhail Kukushkin brings more than 20-year tennis career to a close in Almaty
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin has played the final match of his professional tennis career at the ATP 250 Almaty Open, bringing more than two decades in the sport to an end in front of his home crowd, Qazinform News Agency reported, citing the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
The 38-year-old faced seventh-seeded Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the tournament.
The match, held on the central court at Almaty Arena, lasted just over an hour, with Tsitsipas securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Despite the defeat, the occasion marked an emotional moment for Kazakhstan’s tennis, as Kukushkin bid farewell to professional competition surrounded by fans, family members and fellow players.
Tsitsipas delivered a confident performance, serving eight aces and converting four break points. The Greek controlled the rallies from the baseline and sealed the victory in straight sets.
However, the match was defined less by the result than by Kukushkin’s farewell to professional tennis. Every point won by the Kazakhstani player was greeted with loud applause from the stands.
Following the match, Tsitsipas spoke about the unusual experience of facing an opponent playing the final match of his career.
Tsitsipas congratulated Kukushkin on his remarkable career, adding that it had been an unusual and somewhat unsettling experience to face an opponent playing the final match of his professional career. He noted that he had never found himself in such a situation before and admitted that it was not easy to realize that his opponent’s career would come to an end just minutes later.
More than 20 years in professional tennis
Kukushkin has left a lasting mark on the history of Kazakhstani tennis. Throughout his career, he achieved notable results on the international stage and remained one of the key players in Kazakhstan’s national team for many years.
In February 2019, Kukushkin reached a career-high ranking of world No. 39 in the ATP rankings. He won his first and only ATP singles title in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Open and also reached several other finals on the professional tour.
Kukushkin became the first Kazakhstani player to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open, achieving the milestone in 2012, and Wimbledon, where he reached the same stage in 2019.
His performances for Kazakhstan in the Davis Cup also played a significant role in his career. For more than 15 years, Kukushkin was one of the leaders of the national team, making a substantial contribution to its results on the international stage.
His decision to conclude his career at the home-hosted Almaty Open added symbolic significance to the occasion. It gave the Kazakhstani player an opportunity to say goodbye to professional tennis in front of the supporters who had stood by him throughout his career.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 Almaty Open with his victory. For Kukushkin, the match marked the final chapter of a distinguished sporting career that helped inspire a new generation of Kazakhstani tennis players.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan’s Rybakina retained the world No.1, Putintseva leaped 13 spots.