Stefanos Tsitsipas brought the curtain down on Mikhail Kukushkin’s two-decade professional career on Wednesday, defeating the 38-year-old, 6-1, 6-2, at the Almaty Open before paying a classy tribute to one of the pioneers of Kazakhstani tennis.
In a touching gesture after the match, Tsitsipas asked Kukushkin for an autographed shirt, a fitting show of respect for a player who helped pave the way for a new generation of Kazakh tennis stars.
“This is his moment,” Tsitsipas said. “This day is entirely dedicated to him.”
Kukushkin, who turned professional in 2006, was making his final ATP Tour appearance this week. He kept his career alive with a first-round victory over Greece’s Stefanos Sakellaridis before running into the former world No. 3 in the second round.
Tsitsipas was gracious in victory, recognizing Kukushkin’s contributions to the sport and his adopted country.
“A big bravo to Mikhail Kukushkin, who was a trailblazer for Kazakh tennis in the 2010s,” Tsitsipas wrote on social media. “Wishing you the best in retirement, Mikhail!”
Kukushkin finishes his career with 175 ATP Tour victories, 20 quarterfinal appearances and one singles title, captured at St. Petersburg in 2010. He reached a career-high ranking of No.39.
Kukushkin overcame two hip surgeries in October 2012 to continue competing at the highest level. His career highlights included reaching the fourth round at the 2012 Australian Open, where he defeated Viktor Troicki and Gael Monfils in five sets, and at Wimbledon in 2019, where he upset John Isner in another five-set thriller.
His biggest career victory by ranking came against world No. 4 Stan Wawrinka at Basel in 2014 – he earned four career Top 10 wins.
Beyond his individual achievements, Kukushkin helped put Kazakhstan on the international tennis map after switching nationalities from Russia early in his career.
Speaking to Clay Magazine earlier this week, Kukushkin marveled at the transformation of Kazakh tennis under federation president Bulat Utemuratov.
“In 2008, almost no one played tennis here,” he said. “Nobody knew anything about tennis; there was literally zero knowledge of the sport, its history or its tournaments, and we had to build everything practically from scratch.”
Kukushkin pointed to the country’s subsequent success, including its rise in team competitions, the emergence of Alexander Bublik and the arrival of a two-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1.
“The project was very good, and now the results are there for everyone to see,” he said.
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