Kazakhstan courts success with youth talent development

In recent years, Kazakhstan has become a notable presence on the global tennis map. The Central Asian country regularly hosts prestigious ATP tournaments and has nurtured top-tier talent. Leading the way is Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, who has become a global star in women's tennis. On the men's side, Alexander Bublik's breakthrough at Roland Garros, where he became the first Kazakh man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal, turned attention toward the country's rising influence in tennis.

Significant strides

Over the past three years, Kazakh juniors have made significant strides in tournaments worldwide. At the 2024 Junior Davis Cup, Kazakhstan secured fifth place, defeating four-time champion France twice — first in the group stage, and then again in the playoffs. In the tournament qualifiers, the Kazakh team also triumphed over Australia.

This followed a fourth-place finish in 2022 at the 14-and-under world team event for boys and 10thand 9th-place finishes in 2023 at the Junior Davis Cup and the Junior Billie Jean King Cup, respectively.

Three Kazakh boys are currently ranked in the ITF junior top 100.The best among them, Amir Omarkhanov, reached as high as No 4 before the Australian Open junior event. He has already had several notable performances at the professional level, including reaching the semifinals of the $25,000 World Tennis Tour tournament in Astana in July 2024, and competing in the qualifiers for the ATP Masters Madrid Open and the ATP 250 Almaty Open.

Sixteen-year-old Zangar Nurlanuly won three junior tournaments last year and climbed to No 32 in the ITF junior rankings. Eighteen-year-old Sonja Zhiyenbayeva won two professional $15,000 WTT tournaments last year, and finished the year ranked No 17 in the ITF junior rankings. She is currently ranked No 630 among professionals.

In December, 14-year-old Ansar Niyetkaliyev received the prestigious Overseas Player of the Year award from Tennis Europe, a regional division of the ITF. Another Kazakh player, Akhmadi Makhanov, ranked 13th in a recent Tennis Europe U14 ranking.

In 2024, Kazakhstan had six players in the top 100 of the ITF junior rankings (both boys and girls), including three in the top 50. Additionally, seven players were ranked in the top 100 of the 14-and-under Tennis Europe rankings — more, even, than tennis powerhouse Italy.

All 13 of these highly ranked players were born and developed in Kazakhstan — the result of a nationwide, systematic approach to player development, employing a combination of structured programs and dynamic private initiatives.

Infrastructure investment

Driven by a deep passion for the sport, in 2007, businessman and philanthropist Bulat Utemuratov became the head of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF). Since then, 38 tennis centers have been built across the country, featuring a total of 364 hard and clay courts. Over the past 17 years, total investment has exceeded $150 million.

The KTF has also trained hundreds of coaches and instructors to teach children tennis from an early age. Over the past five years, the number of ITF-certified coaches has nearly doubled to over 400.

Investment in infrastructure has significantly reduced court rental costs, which have dropped from $50 per hour in 2007 to just $10 per hour today. As a result of successful initiatives, such as the Tennis Under 10 program and the Baby Tennis by Lexus program, featuring smaller courts and slower balls, the number of children playing a sport once considered elitist has skyrocketed from 900 to 30,000.

The KTF also regularly organizes training camps for children in various age groups and identifies the most promising players based on their athletic ability, technique and performance in competitions.

Identifying potential

Drawing inspiration from Italy and Canada, the KTF has created a system for identifying talent at every regional tennis center and supporting their development. Additionally, posters featuring the player development pathway achievable for young players are displayed at every center. The KTF has also made significant investment in organizing national and international tournaments within the country.

According to KTF estimates, the cost of training and equipping an athlete aged 9-10 is approximately $3,600 per year. By ages 12-13, as international tournament expenses and additional equipment costs are factored in, annual expenses rise to $14,400 per player. From age 15, personal coaching becomes necessary, pushing yearly costs beyond $40,000 per player.

The KTF oversees, monitors, and approves each player's training and competition schedule. Athletes selected for the KTF 14-and-under targeted program receive federation support, provided they commit to 12-15 hours of tennis training per week, dedicate 5-7 hours to fitness, and compete in at least 60 singles matches annually.

Currently, Kazakhstan provides financial support and supervision for more than 140 players aged 11 to 20. Developing a player to the professional level requires significant financial investment.

To put this into perspective, a CNN report indicates that the British Lawn Tennis Association spends approximately $300,000 to develop a player from childhood until they reach professional status.

The KTF makes similar investments in its most talented young players to prepare them to represent the nation in high-profile events, including the Davis Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup and the Olympics.