Kazakhstan's first Wimbledon casualties revealed

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva bowed out of Wimbledon 2026 in the first round, losing 4-6, 4-6 to Germany's Tatjana Maria after one hour and 42 minutes on court.

Maria, ranked 96th in the world, entered the match in strong form after a successful Eastbourne campaign, while world No. 84 Putintseva had limited grass-court practice this season.

Maria fired three aces, committed just one double fault and converted four of her 11 break-point opportunities. Putintseva, meanwhile, hit one ace, made four double faults and converted two of seven break points.

Despite the loss, Putintseva still leads the pair's head-to-head series 4-2. The 38-year-old Maria advanced to the second round, where she will face American Iva Jovic, while Putintseva's singles campaign came to an end.

Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Shevchenko, ranked No. 99 in the ATP rankings, also suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon before admitting he was unable to find his rhythm during the match. He was stunned by world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 3-6, 1-6, 4-6.

In an interview with Qazinform, Shevchenko admitted he was unable to play his best tennis, crediting Auger-Aliassime's serving with disrupting his rhythm. He also said he is still adapting to grass courts and feels most comfortable on hard courts.

Looking ahead, he said he plans to focus on improving his serve and return before his next tournaments.

Shevchenko also said he has been struggling with a recurring knee injury that has limited his movement and affected his serve. He plans to rest and recover after Wimbledon but acknowledged that surgery may be required if the problem persists.

Despite his first-round exit, Shevchenko will receive £80,000 in prize money before taxes (about 52 million tenge).

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina had secured a Porsche and €160,000 following her Stuttgart triumph.