Mikhail Kukushkin retires from professional tennis

Kazakhstan tennis pioneer Mikhail Kukushkin has played his final professional match in Almaty. The 38-year-old veteran concluded his career in the round of 16, where he was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas with a score of 6-1, 6-2.

Kukushkin, who represented Kazakhstan starting in 2008, achieved a career-high ranking of world number 39 in 2019. His notable achievements include an ATP title in St. Petersburg in 2010 and reaching the round of 16 at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Following the match, Tsitsipas praised Kukushkin as a pioneer for tennis in his country. Kukushkin expressed gratitude for the support of his family and fellow players, such as Alexander Bublik, noting that he decided to retire after realizing he could no longer make significant progress despite intense training.