Kazakhstan has entered the top 10 tennis nations in the world — a historic recognition by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), El.kz reports

The country now holds nine out of twelve possible votes.

The decision was made at the ITF’s annual meeting, where 91% of delegates from 200 national federations supported elevating Kazakhstan’s status — a record-breaking level of approval in the organization’s history. This recognition reflects the country’s rapid progress in tennis over recent years.

President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, Bulat Utemuratov, noted that this achievement is based on an objective international assessment of progress rather than image-building efforts. According to him, Kazakh tennis today demonstrates a sustainable development system — from widespread youth involvement to the creation of modern sports centers and the training of world-class coaches.

Currently, over 17,500 children in Kazakhstan play tennis regularly, and over 250 tournaments — including 40 international ones — are held annually.

ITF experts highlighted that Kazakhstan’s development model serves as an example for many countries where tennis is creating a strong base.

“This is not just a sporting success — it’s a symbol of systemic maturity and proof that Kazakhstan is capable of building strong institutions even in highly competitive international disciplines,” ITF representatives emphasized.