Mikhail Kukushkin, playing in the final tournament of his career, advanced after defeating Greek qualifier Stefanos Sakellaridis 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) at the Almaty ATP 250 on Monday, despite missing several match points.
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The 38-year-old Kazakh wildcard, currently ranked No. 389, took approximately two hours and 15 minutes to secure his first ATP Tour win since reaching the quarterfinals in Hangzhou in 2024. Sakellaridis is ranked No. 133.
“It was incredible,” Kukushkin remarked. “To be honest, I didn’t believe that I would be able to win. I was not doing much for the last six months since I decided to retire. This match describes my whole career—a tough battle, a very long match, a lot of nerves, and a lot of uncertainty. Winning like this reminds me of my whole career.”
Kukushkin is competing in his 222nd ATP Tour or Grand Slam event, and this marks his record sixth appearance at the Almaty tournament. He secured his only ATP Tour title in St. Petersburg in 2010 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 in 2019.
Reflecting on his career, Kukushkin mentioned that his most cherished memories come from representing his country in Davis Cup matches, noting the pressure and significance of those events. He recalled a memorable encounter with Novak Djokovic in 2016, which lasted 4 hours and 57 minutes, stating it would stay with him for life despite the loss.
Kukushkin will now face the winner of the first-round match between seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Aleksandar Kovacevic.