Astana, June 2025 鈥� The city of Astana has just hosted a landmark event for the region: the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 Open, a two-part international ITF Futures Series tournament in wheelchair tennis 鈥� the first event of its kind in Central Asia dedicated to para-sport and the principles of inclusion and equal opportunity.
The tournaments brought together athletes from 11 countries: Japan, Australia, the United States, South Korea, France, India, Poland, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Over the course of eight days, spectators witnessed dynamic matches, fierce competition, and inspiring performances on court.
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In the first tournament, Victoria Lvova (Russia), the top seed and No. 21 in the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour (WTT) world rankings, claimed double titles in both singles and doubles, teaming up with Amina Mangutova (Russia) in the doubles final.
On the men鈥檚 side, Yoshinobu Fujimoto (Japan), ranked No. 82 in the world and seeded third, mirrored this achievement by also winning both singles and doubles titles. His doubles partner was Ji Hwan Lee (South Korea), No. 74 in the world and also the tournament鈥檚 third seed.
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In the second leg of the series, Victoria Lvova once again dominated, winning both singles and doubles titles 鈥� this time alongside Lyudmila Bubnova (Belarus, ITF No. 60).
Among men, the singles crown went to Ji Hwan Lee (South Korea), while the unstoppable pair of Lee and Fujimoto reunited to take the doubles title once again.
Kazakhstan's Breakthrough Performance
The tournament marked a milestone for Kazakhstan. Local player Aizhan Butimbayeva (ITF No. 84) reached the women鈥檚 doubles final in both tournaments, partnering first with Joo Yoon Park (South Korea, ITF No. 60) and then with Sally Schwartz (Australia, ITF No. 41).
In the men鈥檚 doubles draw, Kazakhstan鈥檚 Dinmukhamed Aliyakhparov (Astana) and Dastan Neyazov (Aktobe) advanced to the quarterfinals 鈥� a significant result for the national team.
The tournaments marked a significant step forward for international cooperation and visibility in para-sport. In addition to boosting global rankings, the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 Open helped raise awareness of wheelchair tennis in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region.
Organized with the support of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation and 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网, the events received praise from players and attendees for their high standards and welcoming atmosphere.
I鈥檝e competed in many tournaments around the world, and I can confidently say this event was exceptionally well organized. Especially for a debut on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour 鈥� the facilities, officials, ball crew, and volunteers created a really comfortable experience. This was my first visit to Kazakhstan, and it鈥檚 been a wonderful one.
Before 2022, we didn鈥檛 have a national wheelchair tennis program. In just three years, we now have a player in the ITF Top 100 and national teams competing internationally. This tournament was on par with leading global events 鈥� and we hope it will become one of the best in the world.
Wheelchair tennis is an official Paralympic sport, featured in all four Grand Slam tournaments. The ITF Futures Series is held under the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and brings together the world鈥檚 top-ranked players to compete and progress through the elite pathway.
