Kazakhstan Supplementary Stories - The Times Of Central Asia

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Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina Makes History as First Kazakh to Reach WTA Finals Semifinals

Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan’s top-ranked tennis player and world number six, has made history by reaching the semifinals of the WTA Finals. She is the first player from Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region to advance to the playoffs of the prestigious year-end tournament. The WTA Finals, held annually since 1971, feature the top eight players based on points accumulated throughout the season rather than the current WTA rankings. In 2025, Rybakina secured her place in Riyadh ahead of world number ten, Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. This is Rybakina’s third consecutive appearance at the Finals. After failing to progress beyond the group stage in 2023 and 2024, she achieved a breakthrough this year by finishing first in her group. Her round-robin opponents included world number two Iga Swiatek (Poland), world number four Amanda Anisimova (United States), and world number seven Madison Keys (U.S.). Rybakina began with a commanding 6–3, 6–1 victory over Anisimova, then mounted a comeback against Swiatek, overturning a 3–6 first-set loss to take the next two sets 6–1, 6–0. The consecutive wins secured her a place in the semifinals and the top position in the group with one match remaining. In the final group match, Keys withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Alexandrova, who had traveled to Riyadh as an alternate. Rybakina maintained her dominance, defeating the Russian 6–4, 6–4. At 25, the Moscow-born Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, has earned her place in the nation’s tennis history as the first player to reach the WTA Finals playoffs. Anisimova, who stunned Swiatek 6–7 (3), 6–4, 6–2, finished second in the group and will also advance. In the parallel group, semifinal qualification will be decided on November 6. World number one Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) leads and is set to face world number three Coco Gauff (U.S.), while Jessica Pegula (U.S.), currently in second place, will play Jasmine Paolini (Italy). Rybakina will face the runner-up from that group in the semifinal on November 7. The final is scheduled for November 8. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Rybakina’s strong 2025 season included titles at two WTA tournaments and a semifinal appearance at the Tokyo event in October, which secured her place at the Finals.

Kazakhstan’s Akims to be Given Appraisals Using KPIs

Kazakhstan's prime minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed that the country's akims (heads of local government) should have their work evaluated using key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs reflect how well they are able to improve their citizens' welfare. The basis for monitoring will be the platform “Digital Family Map,” which tracks the welfare of Kazakh families in five categories, from crisis to prosperity. The work of akims will be evaluated by the dynamics of the families' transition from the lowest to the highest categories. This system has already received positive feedback from the UN and international institutions. The “Digital Family Map” platform, introduced in 2022, stores information from various government agencies, allowing proactive state support. Akims must use this tool to plan and implement measures to reduce poverty, unemployment, and hidden employment. Bektenov emphasized the importance of targeted work with families in crisis. The project “Social Purse,” which ensures transparency and timeliness of state support, was also considered. In the pilot mode, benefits for school meals and medicines are already provided. To compensate for the increase in fuel, lubricants, and commodity gas prices, it plans to launch assistance in purchasing projects on socially significant products, technical rehabilitation equipment for the disabled, and vouchers for socially vulnerable populations. In addition, the project “Voucher Financing of Preschool Organizations” was presented, aiming to improve the quality of educational services. The state order funds will be transferred to kindergartens only after the parents have chosen them, increasing competition and reducing corruption risks. The Ministry of Education is tasked with completing the pilot project in Taraz and Shymkent and scaling it up from January 1, 2025.

Mark Cavendish, British Cyclist from Astana Qazaqstan Team, Takes Record Stage Win

British cyclist Mark Cavendish made history at this year’s Tour de France, which he was said was probably his last race. Cavendish, currently riding for the Astana Qazaqstan Team, set the record for winning the most career stages (35) at cycling’s biggest event. The tour ended Sunday with Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates as the overall winner. But Cavendish’s record-breaking performance was one of the main story lines of the 2024 Tour de France, which broke with tradition and ended in Nice because the usual finishing area, in or near Paris, is preparing for the Olympics (July 26-Aug. 11). In 2021, Cavendish drew level with Belgian Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins at the Tour de France, but another win eluded him in the following years. He signed up with Astana Qazaqstan for 2023, but dropped out of that year’s Tour de France after a fall. On the verge of retirement, he stayed with Astana Qazaqstan for another try at breaking the record. On July 3, it happened when he won the fifth stage of the Tour de France. “It’s hard to fully grasp this success, but we worked towards it, and as a team, we did everything possible to make it happen,” 39-year-old Cavendish said. “Few believed that we would succeed, that Mark’s arrival in Astana Qazaqstan Team would change history, but we believed and did everything to make today’s victory happen,” said Alexandr Vinokurov, general manager of the team. “We were close to this last year, but fate had other plans. I believe that real champions should not end their careers after a fall and injury, and I am happy that Mark decided to do another season in the end.” Cavendish won his first Tour de France stage in 2008. Merckx, a five-time winner of the Tour de France, retired from racing in 1978. This month, Chinese company XDS, one of the world’s biggest bicycle makers, said it will invest in the Astana Qazaqstan Team for at least five years, according to a team statement.

Controversial Kazakh Opposition Figure Aidos Sadykov Shot in Kyiv

An unknown man in Kyiv fired several shots at Kazakh activist and oppositionist Aidos Sadykov, who has been granted official refugee status in Ukraine. It is reported that the incident occurred in the Shevchenkivskiy district of the Ukrainian capital when Sadykov was approaching his car with his wife, Natalia, who previously worked for Mukhtar Ablyazov’s opposition paper, Respublika. The gunman used a silencer on the firearm. Sadykov's condition is currently assessed as serious; his wife was not injured. As this is a case involving a high-profile individual, the head of the regional police, Andriy Nebytov, was called to the crime scene. Sadykov is the author of the Telegram channel 'Base', which has 59,000 subscribers, and has been permanently residing in Kyiv since 2014. Over the years, he has criticized the current Kazakh authorities, including the current president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In 2020 Base, together with the initiative to create the opposition Democratic Party, became the co-organizers of a rally in Almaty demanding a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary election. The Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, an unregistered political party, was founded and led by Zhanbolat Mamai, a former journalist who was convicted for receiving funds from Ablyazov in 2017. Sadykov and Mamai both actively supported the protests in January 2022 in Kazakhstan, widely seen as an attempted coup. He is wanted in Kazakhstan under the articles on the incitement of discord.

Kyrgyzstan Delivers Humanitarian Aid to Flood-Affected Kazakhstan

In response to the devastation caused by Kazakhstan’s unprecedented floods, on April 4, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov, announced that Kyrgyzstan would reach out a helping hand to its neighbour. A convoy of 15 trucks carrying 300 tons of humanitarian aid from Kyrgyzstan duly arrived in the city of Aktobe in Kazakhstan on 8 April. Emergency supplies include sunflower oil, sugar, rice, pasta, confectionery, as well as locally-produced mattresses and tents. As reported by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, aid will be distributed amongst the four regions of Kazakhstan worst hit by unprecedented spring floods. Three trucks are headed the Kostanay region, 4 to the Aktobe region, 4 to the Ural region, and 4 to the Atyrau region. In a statement, Japarov recalled that following the explosion at the Bishkek thermal power plant on 2 February, which left the city without hot water and heating for several days, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent 2,000 tons of diesel fuel. Expressing his gratitude for the help offered by Kazakhstan, he explained, “we will also send them humanitarian aid, even if they did not ask.”

Kazakhstan Searches For More Military Personnel

Kazakhstan’s army is suffering from a high outflow of staff, the country’s first deputy minister of defense, Sultan Kamaletdinov, announced at a parliamentary defense and security meeting on January 30th. Mr Kamaletdinov explained that between 2020 and 2023 over 17,000 military personnel had left the Armed Forces, mostly contract soldiers but including 4,300 commissioned officers. The deputy minister added that one of the reasons for the outflow is the soldiers’ relatively low salary. The Ministry of Defense announced on January 31st that the ranks of the Kazakh army would be replenished by reserve commissioned officers who have not completed military service. These are university graduates, predominantly from technical courses, who receive the rank of lieutenant along with their diplomas. This year 600 reserve officers will be drafted into the Armed Forces and 152 into the Border Guard Service, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Priority will be given to unemployed reserve officers. In the 2024 Military Strength Ranking released by the Global Firepower agency, Kazakhstan ranked 58th of the 145 countries listed — the highest among Central Asian countries. Uzbekistan is in 65th place on the list, Turkmenistan 83rd, Kyrgyzstan 100th, and Tajikistan 107th. Global Firepower ranks the nations of the world based on their current war-making capability across land, sea, and air.