Turkmen tennis players won silver at the ‘ATF Bahrain 14 & Under Category A’ international tournament in Isa Town (Bahrain). The competition was held under the auspices of the Asian Tennis Federation and brought together athletes from 17 countries, according to the publication ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

12-year-old Sulgun Ishankuliyeva, paired with Jordanian A. Gokashau, took second place in the doubles. In the final, the duo lost to the Russian-Iranian pair S. Himmelreich / Aylin Mohammadian 3:6, 3:6.

In the singles, the best result among Turkmen athletes was achieved by Nazli Hudaykuliyeva. She reached the semi-finals, where she lost to the tournament winner Mengxian Li (China) 1:6, 4:6. In the match for third place, Hudaykuliyeva lost to Chiho Shirai (Japan) 5:7, 2:6 and took fourth place.

At the start of the tournament, Nazli Hudaykuliyeva was ranked 19th in the Asian junior rankings, and Sulgun Ishankuliyeva was ranked 52nd. After the points are calculated, Hudaykuliyeva is expected to enter the top ten in the region. The tournament is part of the ATF ranking series. Participation in such competitions gives a chance to qualify for the junior tournaments at Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2027.

The tennis players are coached by Yuri Rogussky, head coach of the Turkmenistan women's national team. In 2025, they won a place in the Asian final as part of the national team, defeating the Uzbekistan team at the U12 Central Asian Championship in Fergana.