Meet Beibit Zhukayev: What the Kazakhstani learned from Federer, Nadal & Djokovic | ATP Tour

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Meet Beibit Zhukayev: What the Kazakhstani discovered from Federer, Nadal & Djokovic

Study extra in regards to the dwelling favorite

October 18, 2024

Almaty’s staging of a primary ATP match has confirmed to be a historic event for one in all its residents, too.

Beibit Zhukayev contests his maiden ATP Tour quarter-final on Friday on the Almaty Open, along with his dad and mom anticipated to be in attendance once more. 

“I’m actually blissful that I received via to my first ATP quarter-final, particularly enjoying at dwelling,” mentioned the 24-year-old wild card, who superior to the final eight when the surging Tomas Machac retired as a result of sickness after 4 video games Thursday. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m very pleased with myself.”

Zhukayev resides near the mountains, a few 20-to-25-minute drive from the match venue with out visitors, the No. 213 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings mentioned.

When visitors strikes Kazakhstan’s most populous metropolis, the commute stretches to an hour.

He has blended sleeping in his personal mattress with heading to the official match lodge, relying on the circumstances.

Zhukayev received’t want to move to Almaty Area too early on Friday since his quarter-final in opposition to Karen Khachanov options within the night time session slot of seven p.m.

A victory over the third seed would ship Zhukayev’s PIF ATP Dwell Rabking previous his profession excessive of No. 171 set in Could and get him nearer to his “first aim” of breaking the Prime 100.

“Slowly, step-by-step, I’m enhancing this 12 months,” mentioned Zhukayev. “I’m blissful in what kind I’m in proper now right here. So I hope I’ll enhance increasingly more by the tip of the 12 months.”

The tip of 2023 gave Zhukayev a lot cause for optimism. He collected his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Charlottesville final November to assist safe a primary Prime 200 end within the year-end PIF ATP Rankings.

However sickness and accidents scuppered the progress of the large server, who instructed the ATP final 12 months that he began to play tennis aged eight whereas on vacation in Turkey.

“This 12 months was not straightforward,” he mentioned. “I made an excellent preseason, however then I received sick. I had some virus in my physique and I misplaced my kind that I constructed within the preseason.”

He nonetheless made the journey to Australia, however wasn’t 100 per cent. He missed about one other month with sickness thereafter, however felt his kind improved on grass.

To that finish, Zhukayev received nearer to reaching the primary draw of a Grand Slam match than ever earlier than when he landed within the third and ultimate spherical of Wimbledon qualifying.

Nonetheless, a decrease again harm halted his progress throughout the North American hard-court swing.

Together with his again feeling higher, Zhukayev certified for the Rolex Shanghai Masters for the second consecutive 12 months — his first ATP win got here in Shanghai final season previous to dropping to Khachanov regardless of 20 aces — forward of Almaty.

“In China, I began feeling higher,” mentioned Zhukayev. “My decrease again received higher. And, yeah, Shanghai was not dangerous.”

The ATP Masters 1000 ended with Jannik Sinner beating Novak Djokovic. Djokovic, together with fellow “Massive Three” members Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have been Zhukayev’s tennis idols.

“After I was rising up I all the time was watching Federer,” mentioned Zhukayev. “I like how he performed. And Nadal [I liked] for his athleticism and his character. He was all the time combating ‘til the tip. And Djokovic as nicely.

“He was the final one in that firm however on the finish he’s the best now, the best tennis participant ever.”

Djokovic additionally has ties to Kazakhstan, claiming the title in Astana in 2022 earlier than the occasion’s relocation to Almaty.