Dave Miley - Enormous Tennis Growth in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Tennis (according to Yuriy Polskiy)

• Since 2007, when businessman and philanthropist Bulat Utemuratov became the KTF president, Kazakhstan has built 38 major tennis centers, each with at least six courts, totaling 364 hard and clay courts nationwide. Over the past 17 years, more than $150 million has been invested in infrastructure. Hundreds of coaches have been trained, particularly for early childhood programs. The number of certified ITF coaches has nearly doubled in five years, now surpassing 400.

• Infrastructure growth has significantly reduced training costs: hourly court rental has dropped from $50 in 2007 to just $10 today. Facilities now exist in 16 of the 18 regional capitals and smaller cities like Lisakovsk. Major complexes in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Karaganda, Aktobe, and Ust-Kamenogorsk each include six indoor and ten outdoor courts, allowing over 1,000 children per city to train regularly.

• However, demand continues to outpace supply. In Astana and Almaty, each center maintains waitlists of 500-600 children. To meet this, new high-standard complexes are being constructed, including a 14-court facility in Almaty and another in Astana. Additionally, the Federation is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to introduce tennis in kindergartens and schools, ensuring access for children from remote regions.

How Kazakhstan is Building Global Tennis Stars

1. Transformation of Infrastructure
• In the past, Kazakhstan’s tennis activity was centered in Almaty.
• Today, multiple tennis centers have been built across the country, and international tournaments are regularly hosted — a major shift compared to before.
2. Development Goals
• Every federation aims for more players and better players.
• This includes expanding 10-and-under programs, increasing coaching, and encouraging recreational play.
3. Player Training Standards
• A strong under-12 player should train around 12 hours of tennis and 5 hours of fitness per week, plus compete in ~60 matches yearly on different surfaces.
4. System over Money
• Success isn’t just about funding — it requires a structured system and effective use of resources.
• Proof of progress: three Kazakh boys are in the world’s Top 60 juniors (Amir Omarkhanov, Damir Zhalgasbai, Zangar Nurlanuly).
5. Role of Star Players
• Rybakina and Bublik have been pivotal in raising Kazakhstan’s tennis profile globally through major victories.
• Like many countries, Kazakhstan has also benefited from player movement (athletes changing national representation).
6. Philosophy of Growth
• The ITF’s “Play and Stay” campaign (2007) emphasized simple rallying and scoring to get players hooked early.
• The goal: make tennis enjoyable so players “experience amazing” and keep coming back.

 In short: Kazakhstan’s rise in tennis comes from a nationwide system of facilities, structured training, international competition, and inspirational role models, not just money.

Coaches Conference in Almaty

I just finished 10 days in Almaty attending our ATP 250 tournament. The event finished on Sunday with a great three-set final between Medvedev and Moutet, with Medvedev winning in three close sets. As Medvedev said at the award ceremony, the event is now at the level of other indoor ATP 1000 events in terms of facilities and organization. The event is a big credit to the KTF tennis President, Bulat Utemuratov, and how much he has done to improve tennis in Kazakhstan over the past 2 decades.

It was great to meet up at the event with my good friend Rohan Goetzke, who was in Almaty as Medvedev’s new coach. Rohan was the coach of Krajicek when he won Wimbledon in 1996, and was also the tennis Director at IMG Bollettieri Academy, and I had not seen him since we had dinner together at Wimbledon in 2019. It was his first tournament with Daniil and not a bad start to their work together!

During the last three days of the ATP, we organized a coach conference with the unique theme of “Tennis Drives-Fitness Supports”. It was set up to show how the tennis coach of a performance junior or pro player can work effectively with the fitness coach to develop an individualized and tennis-specific program for the best results for the player. By combining their observations of the player on court in training and competition, with the results of fitness tests off the court, they can put a player-centered plan together that provides the medicine for the player to work on their fitness at their training base or at tournaments and to improve their results in matches.

Our two experts were Dario Novac, fitness coach for many top players including Rybakina, Wawrinka, and Rune, and Hrvoje Zmajic, who worked with me at the ITF as Development officer for Europe, and who is a very successful coach of performance junior players. Over 160 coaches, including coaches from 10 nations, attended the 3-day conference, with very positive feedback received from those attending.

Thanks again to Dario and Hrvoje for their interesting presentations and for the energy and passion they displayed throughout and thanks also to my player development colleagues for their great organization.

Dave was the person behind the ITF Tennis Play and Stay Campaign and the rule change for Ten and Under Tennis, approved in 2010. He also introduced the combined ranking for Junior Tennis in 2004.

In 2019, Dave Miley ran for ITF President and lost to David Haggerty. His campaign slogan was “Together for Tennis - ITF Strong.”

He has also authored seven coaching books. During his time at the ITF, he has traveled to over 140 nations, and there are few people who know world tennis as well as he.

Today, Dave works as the Tennis Director for the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (see photo below). He also regularly presents at coaching conferences, like the Australian Open Conference in Melbourne and the PTR conference in Hilton Head.