{"id":17818,"date":"2026-06-11T12:43:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/17818\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T12:43:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:43:27","slug":"alexander-bublik-reacts-as-former-top-40-player-announces-plans-to-retire-from-tennis-ultimas-noticias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/17818\/","title":{"rendered":"Alexander Bublik reacts as former top-40 player announces plans to retire from tennis – \u00daltimas Not\u00edcias"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Former top-40 player Mikhail Kukushkin has announced that he will retire from tennis later this year.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old will play his final tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan, this October.<\/p>\n

Kukushkin\u2019s fellow Kazakhstani, Alexander Bublik<\/a>, reacted to his announcement on social media.<\/p>\n

Alexander Bublik says he will join retiring Mikhail Kukushkin at the Astana Open later this year<\/p>\n

Hearing that Kukushkin will play in Astana later this year, Bublik replied to his Instagram<\/a> post.<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently I\u2019ll have to come too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"AlexanderPhoto by Emmanuele Ciancaglini\/Ciancaphoto Studio\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Bublik wasn\u2019t the only ATP<\/a> pro to react.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn amazing career, Kuku, so much to be proud of,\u201d said Hamad Medjedovic.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongrats on your amazing career legend,\u201d added Mark Lajal.<\/p>\n

Players on tour will miss Kukushkin, and he will certainly miss tennis.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes there comes a moment when you need to stop, look back, and simply say: \u2018Thank you.\u2019 Today, I want to share with you a difficult decision. After many years on the professional tennis tour, I have decided to bring my playing career to an end,\u201d said Kukushkin.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy final tournament will take place in October this year, at the Almaty Open ATP 250.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s hard to find the right words. Tennis has never been just a job or a sport for me. It has been my life. Since childhood, it has taught me how to dream, how to fight, how to deal with defeat, how to appreciate victory, and how to never give up.<\/p>\n

\"MikhailPhoto by VCG\/VCG via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, I have experienced it all: unforgettable highs and painful lows, injuries and comebacks, great victories and tough losses. But every moment of this journey has helped shape the person I am today. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my family, who have always been by my side, to my coaches, my team, my friends, my partners, and, of course, to the fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour support gave me strength even during the most difficult times. I will never forget the feeling of walking onto the court, the atmosphere of the stadiums, and hearing your voices cheering me on around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is still some time before October. A few more tournaments, practices, emotions, and memories to create.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when I step onto the court for the final match of my career, I will do so with the same passion, determination, and love for the game that I had as a little boy with a big dream.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, tennis, for everything. And thank you to each and every one of you for being part of this incredible journey. See you in October, Mikhail Kukushkin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kukushkin\u2019s passion for tennis can be seen clearly by the number of matches he\u2019s played this year.<\/p>\n

At 38, Kukushkin has played 37 matches in 2026, all at the Challenger level.<\/p>\n

Mikhail Kukushkin in 2026TournamentPerformanceMatch wins (qualies)Match winsDefeat(s)Nottingham ChallengerSemi-final\u20133Johannus MondayGlasgow ChallengerFinal\u20134Clement ChidekhOeiras 1 ChallengerQuarter-final12Stefan Kozlov, Vilius GaubasOeiras 2 ChallengerSecond round21Daniil GlinkaTenerife ChallengerFirst round\u2013\u2013Michael MmohPau ChallengerFirst round1\u2013James Trotter, Benjamin BonziLille ChallengerSecond round21Luca Van AsscheSt Brieuc ChallengerSecond round1\u2013(Walkover)Murcia ChallengerSecond round\u20131Roberto Carballes BaenaNaples ChallengerFirst round\u2013\u2013Enrico Dalla ValleWuning 2 ChallengerSecond round\u20131Blake EllisGwandju ChallengerSecond round\u20131Leandro ReidiJiujiang ChallengerFirst round\u2013\u2013Coleman WongWuxi ChallengerSecond round\u20131Mark LajalMikhail Kukushkin in 2026<\/p>\n

And he\u2019s not losing every week, either; in fact, Kukushkin has a positive 22-15 record for the season.<\/p>\n

The world number 303 is playing better than his ranking would suggest, sitting 238th in the \u2018Live ATP Race\u2019.<\/p>\n

If Kukushkin is going out, he\u2019s going out fighting!<\/p>\n

Mikhail Kukushkin\u2019s career highlights<\/p>\n

Kukushkin is still fighting hard at 38, but just how good was he during his prime?<\/p>\n

The Kazakhstani reached a career-high ranking of 39th and won one ATP title, at the 2010 St. Petersburg Open.<\/p>\n

\"MikhailPhoto by Oleg Nikishin\/Epsilon\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

And, he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon<\/a>, winning 28 Grand Slam matches.<\/p>\n

Kukushkin picked up four wins over top-10 opponents, defeating some of the world\u2019s best players during his time on tour.<\/p>\n

1. 2010 St. Petersburg Open final vs #9 Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3, 7-62. 2014 Swiss Indoors first round vs #4 Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-7, 6-33. 2018 Vienna Open first round vs #10 Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 4-6, 6-44. 2019 US Open first round vs #10 Roberto Bautista Agut, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old also has 17 Challenger titles to his name, winning his first and last titles 17 years apart.<\/p>\n

Kukushkin never won a Grand Slam or broke into the world\u2019s top 50, but he can be more than proud of his achievements, enjoying a lengthy and successful tennis career.<\/p>\n

We look forward to the last few months of his career and wish him the best for his farewell at the 2026 Astana Open.<\/p>\n