Zangar Nurlanuly is one of the rising stars in Kazakh tennis. The 17-year-old tennis player is already making history for the country. Zangar Nurlanuly became the first Kazakh tennis player to reach the semifinals of the Junior Grand Slam, El.kz reports.
Beginning of big journey
Zangar started playing tennis at the age of four. His first coach was his father, who also took on the roles of manager and mentor. By the age of thirteen, the young athlete was already dominating on European courts.
Zangar began playing tennis in Taldykorgan at the age of six. At fourteen, he took part in the opening of the Turan Tennis Center in Turkistan.
Training in Europe
Since the age of twelve, Zangar’s life has been closely connected with Slovakia. He trains at the Dominika Cibulkova Academy.
His parents moved to Europe with him, fully dedicating themselves to his career.
Major achievements
His breakthrough came last year, when he reached the semifinals of the junior US Open. There, he lost to Ivan Ivanov, the world’s top junior at the time.
Ivan Ivanov is now sponsored by some of the world’s biggest brands, all expecting him to become a future world No. 1.
Meanwhile, Zangar continues to be among the top 12 of the world junior rankings.
At the 2026 Australian Open, he reached the quarterfinals, confidently defeating several strong opponents along the way. In the decisive match, he faced Kai Thompson from Hong Kong.
Athlete’s personality
Zangar is also deeply interested in chess, seeing it as a direct reflection of tennis strategy. For him, every match is like a complex chess game, where anticipating the opponent’s next move is key.
His philosophy
Zangar views defeats as invaluable lessons. They serve as a mirror, showing exactly what still needs to be improved. Above all, he believes in remaining human in any situation.
He dreams of the world speaking about Kazakhstan as a country where champions are born.
Age and peak in tennis
Tennis is a sport where peak performance often comes early, usually between the ages of 22 and 28. At this stage, physical power, speed, and recovery ability are perfectly balanced.
Most players who reached the world No. 1 ranking rose very young. Carlos Alcaraz topped the rankings at 19 years of age, while Lleyton Hewitt when aged 20 became the youngest World No. 1
Stories of late blooming success
Some players revealed their full potential later. They are often called late bloomers, proving that the road to the top has no age limits.
Stan Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam title at 29 years. Angelique Kerber claimed her first major at 28 years old. These examples show that a breakthrough can happen even on the verge of thirty.
For 17-year-old Zangar Nurlanuly, both scenarios remain open. He could follow the path of Alcaraz and rise rapidly. But even if that doesn’t happen immediately, time is on his side.