Almaty hosts World Tennis General Assembly, shaping the future of global tennis

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kazakhstan is proud to have hosted the annual World Tennis General Assembly in Almaty from 10 to 13 October. Held in Central Asia for the first time, the event brought together leaders and representatives of national federations, international and continental tennis organisations, industry experts and partners.

Meetings of the World Tennis Board of Directors were held on 10-11 October. More than 262 delegates from 137 countries participated in panel sessions and voting proceedings from 11 to 13 October.

The ceremony began with the address from the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the participants of the General Assembly. The presidential address was delivered by the Mayor of Almaty, Darkhan Satybaldy, who also officially opened the Assembly.

World Tennis President David Haggerty was awarded Kazakhstan's Order of Dostyk, Second Degree. The award was presented by Kazakhstan's Minister of Tourism and Sports, Yerbol Myrzabossynov, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in recognition of Haggerty's longstanding contribution to the development of tennis and the strengthening of international cooperation through sport.

Hosting the assembly in Almaty reflects the international tennis community's strong confidence in Kazakhstan and the growing standing of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, led by World Tennis Vice President Bulat Utemuratov.

For Almaty, the forum offered an opportunity to showcase the city's sports infrastructure and tennis traditions to representatives from 137 countries. The assembly facilitates the exchange of expertise, direct dialogue between federation leaders and the development of new international partnerships.

During the General Assembly, World Tennis President David Haggerty presented Bulat Utemuratov, President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, with the Award for Services to the Game. The award recognises outstanding, long-standing contributions to the development and promotion of tennis internationally. This recognition reflects Bulat Utemuratov's many years of work in developing tennis in Kazakhstan, building modern sports infrastructure, supporting young talent and strengthening the country's position in the global tennis community.

This award came alongside Kazakhstan's coach education system being recognised at Gold level an outstanding recognition of the country's coaching programmes.

The centrepiece of the programme was the World Tennis General Assembly meeting on 13 October.

The General Assembly is a major forum for discussing the development of tennis worldwide. Participants addressed ways to make the sport more accessible, develop junior tennis, improve sports infrastructure, train coaches and officials, and organise international competitions.

Particular attention was given to supporting national federations and strengthening international cooperation. Delegates reviewed progress, discussed strategic initiatives and identified priorities that will guide the development of tennis across countries and regions.

"Hosting this crucial assembly shows the vital role Kazakhstan is playing in global tennis and is a testament to the hard work of everyone at the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation. It was a pleasure to host my fellow representatives and work on the issues that will shape the future of tennis across the globe" said Bulat Utemuratov President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation and Vice President of the International Tennis Federation.