Ï Turkmen tennis player wins TEN-PRO Tournament in Dubai
mail-icon
altynasyr.newspaper@sanly.tm
EN RU TK

Turkmen tennis player wins TEN-PRO Tournament in Dubai

view-icon 2423
Turkmen tennis player wins TEN-PRO Tournament in Dubai
camera-icon
Turkmenistan Tennis Federation

11-year-old Turkmen tennis player Sulgun Ishankuliyeva became the winner of the international "TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour" tournament held in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

This tour consists of 14 international tournaments that are held annually for talented tennis players in age categories U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15 and U16 at the best tennis academies around the world in Europe, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and the United States.

Since January 2018, TEN-PRO has introduced the TEN-PRO ranking system, allowing young tennis talents to play a minimum of 4 or 8 matches regardless of whether they win or lose. This system provides them with consistent opportunities to gain experience on the international stage.

The "TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour" tournament in Dubai took place on the courts of Rackets Academy and brought together talented boys and girls from around the world born between 2009 and 2017. The competition was divided into seven separate age categories: U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15 and U16.

Sulgun Ishankuliyeva excelled in the U11 category, which featured 11 girls born no later than 2013. These players were divided into two groups in the preliminary stage of the competition. Sulgun won all her matches in Group "B," defeating Hayaa Douadi (Algeria) – 6:0, 6:0; Antonina Tronina (UAE) – 6:3, 6:3; Eva Petinova (Russia) – 6:4, 6:2; and Kamila Bilyalova (Kazakhstan) – 6:1, 6:1. In the final match, she triumphed over Group "A" winner A. Beradze (Georgia) with a score of 6:2, 6:1. Along with the championship trophy, Sulgun was awarded a prize of branded FILA sportswear.

Sulgun Ishankuliyeva began playing tennis at the age of 4. At the age of 9, she achieved her first success in international competitions, taking second place in the U10 category at the "TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour" tournament in Dubai. At 10, she claimed victory at the "Autumn Cup" in Istanbul, Turkey.

Following this success, the young talented tennis player from Turkmenistan caught the attention of the famous Tennis Academy in France. This academy was founded in 1996 by renowned French coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with former world No.1 in singles Serena Williams (USA), winner of the "Golden Slam" and four Olympic gold medals, as well as Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia), Naomi Osaka (Japan), and many other famous tennis players.

A month of productive training under the guidance of experienced specialists at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy proved to be highly beneficial for Sulgun. Last year, at a European tennis tournament in Baku dedicated to the memory of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev, she took second place in doubles with Ukrainian Valeria Litvin in the U12 category. Then she achieved the same result in a duo with Aynur Annamyradova at the "3rd Qatar Asian Junior Tournament 14 & U" in Doha. Two months ago, as one of the youngest participants, Sulgun earned a bronze medal in singles at the "Ashgabat Open 2024" international tournament for players under 14. And now, she has emerged as the best among her peers at the "TEN-PRO Global Junior Tour" tournament in Dubai.

Sulgun prepared for these competitions under the guidance of experienced coaches from the Ashgabat Tennis Academy. Currently, she is a member of Turkmenistan's U14 women's national team.

"All these achievements are the result of significant efforts by the leadership of the Turkmenistan Tennis Federation, which creates favorable conditions for practicing this sport not only for national team members but also for beginner tennis players," said her mother, Lachyn Saparova.