Bulat Utemuratov
Biography
Bulat Utemuratov is a Kazakhstani businessman and philanthropist.
Since 2007, Bulat Utemuratov has served as President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
Since 2015, Bulat Utemuratov has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (World Tennis) and the Davis Cup Committee.
In 2017, Mr Utemuratov’s efforts for tennis development were recognized with awards from the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation for «Outstanding Achievements in Tennis Development in Kazakhstan».
Since September 2019, Bulat Utemuratov has served as a member of the World Tennis Board of Directors, and he was reappointed in December 2023.
Bulat Utemuratov has invested over USD$200 million in the development of tennis in Kazakhstan, the training of coaches, the construction of tennis infrastructure and the development of a long-term program for young talented athletes. This approach has proven to be very successful, with achievements from national team players, such as Elena Rybakina, Alexander Bublik, Anna Danilina, Yulia Putintseva and Zhibek Kulambayeva, and strong results from junior athletes.
Elena Rybakina is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, having won Wimbledon 2022, the Australian Open 2026, and the US Open 2026. In September 2026, the Kazakhstani tennis player reached World No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in her career, becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to achieve the top spot in the world singles rankings.. Alexander Bublik became the first player from independent Kazakhstan to break into the top 10 of the ATP singles rankings. Anna Danilina has strengthened Kazakhstan’s position in world doubles tennis by winning WTA 1000 tournaments and reaching the finals of Grand Slam tournaments.
Kazakhstan is also steadily strengthening its position at junior level. Following the under-14 team’s fourth-place finish at the world championship and the qualification of junior boys' and girls' teams for the final stages of the junior Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, Kazakhstani tennis players have been consistently achieving strong results in Grand Slam tournaments. Zangar Nurlanuly’s semifinal appearance at the junior Australian Open was a landmark achievement. Amir Omarkhanov, Damir Zhalgasbay, Danial Rakhmatullaev, Sonya Zhienbaeva and other members of the younger generation are performing successfully at major junior tournaments, gradually making a smooth transition to the professional ranks.
In October 2019, a charity showcase match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal took place in Astana. On the same day, the eminent tennis players held a workshop for young Kazakhstani tennis players who came to Astana from all regions of the country.
The ATP 250 Astana Open was held in Kazakhstan from 26 October to 1 November 2020, with the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s efforts highly commended by the ATP Tour.
Back-to-back ATP 250 and WTA 250 tournaments were held in 2021, and a permanent license for hosting the ATP 250 in Kazakhstan was acquired. In 2022, due to the cancellation of the tournament in Beijing and the excellent reputation of the tournament in Astana, ATP agreed to temporarily upgrade the category of the tournament to ATP 500. The ATP 500 Astana Open was attended by six of the top ten players, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In 2024, the ATP 250 tournament was held in Almaty for the first time, attracting over 50,000 attendees. Representatives of the ATP and the players themselves praised the high level of tournament organization in Kazakhstan. The Almaty Open received top ratings from players, ranking among the top three tournaments of 2024 across more than 30 criteria, including court quality, locker room comfort, spectator support, atmosphere, and more.
Charitable activities
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was established in 2014 with a mission to drive sustainable improvement to the quality of life in Kazakhstan by promoting health, education, and cultural development. The total value of the projects implemented by the Foundation is more than USD$240 million.
The Foundation allocated over USD$16 million to its flagship project «Autism. One World for All» which provides early intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and support for their families. More than 20,000 children with ASD have benefited from support offered by 13 Asyl Miras Autism Centers over the course of ten years.
The Foundation is one of few local organizations in Kazakhstan to oversee a diverse portfolio of nationwide projects. This versatile approach promotes sustainable improvement where it is needed most, while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. In addition to providing emergency relief at the local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated USD$5 million to provide relief in Turkey following the devastating earthquake. USD$1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
In 2024, the Foundation allocated approximately USD$26 million to address the aftermath of the large-scale floods in Kazakhstan. These funds were used to provide immediate assistance and to ensure housing for over 500 families in the Aktobe and Akmola regions.
To support regional social development, the Foundation has initiated a variety of social infrastructure projects in different regions of Kazakhstan worth over USD$133 million, transferring them to the state free of charge. In September 2023, a new school, funded by the Foundation, opened in the city of Kosshy. It is the first school in the country to comply with the requirements of the «Comfortable School» national standard. In September 2024, two more schools of the same type were opened in the Almaty region, and in November, a new passenger terminal was opened at Kyzylorda Airport.
In March 2025, a new public and cultural center with a capacity of over 1,000 people and covering 8,500 square meters opened in Kosshy. The center combines sports, educational, and leisure facilities. Moreover, in 2026, the Foundation transferred the modern Shabyt Youth Development Center, with a total area of 2,600 square meters, to the city of Zhezkazgan.
In addition to his philanthropic activities, Mr Utemuratov supports education projects in Kazakhstan. Since 2007, he consistently invests in the development of Narxoz University, one of the leading private universities in Kazakhstan. Bulat Utemuratov is also one of the founders of the Haileybury International Schools in Kazakhstan. The schools offer a broad liberal education following the traditions of independent British schooling.
In October 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen educational infrastructure, improve the education quality and train world-class professionals in the fields of artificial intelligence, engineering, and robotics, Haileybury Astana opened a state-of-the-art SciTech Hub, a next-generation educational center that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in an interdisciplinary format. The project cost 3.4 billion tenge.
The proceeds of these institutions are reinvested in developing human resources, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of education.
In December 2023, Mr Utemuratov was named Philanthropist of the Year by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of social projects. In June 2024, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan awarded the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation with the award in the «Service to Society» category. The winners were selected by an independent panel during the annual AmCham ceremony held in Astana.
In 2025, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation received the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan award in the Healthcare category for the «Autism. One World for All» program and won the EUROBAK Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for the construction of a multifunctional community center in Kosshy.
Since 2007, Bulat Utemuratov has served as President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.
Since 2015, Bulat Utemuratov has been a member of the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (World Tennis) and the Davis Cup Committee.
In 2017, Mr Utemuratov’s efforts for tennis development were recognized with awards from the International Tennis Federation and the Asian Tennis Federation for «Outstanding Achievements in Tennis Development in Kazakhstan».
Since September 2019, Bulat Utemuratov has served as a member of the World Tennis Board of Directors, and he was reappointed in December 2023.
Bulat Utemuratov has invested over USD$200 million in the development of tennis in Kazakhstan, the training of coaches, the construction of tennis infrastructure and the development of a long-term program for young talented athletes. This approach has proven to be very successful, with achievements from national team players, such as Elena Rybakina, Alexander Bublik, Anna Danilina, Yulia Putintseva and Zhibek Kulambayeva, and strong results from junior athletes.
Elena Rybakina is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, having won Wimbledon 2022, the Australian Open 2026, and the US Open 2026. In September 2026, the Kazakhstani tennis player reached World No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in her career, becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to achieve the top spot in the world singles rankings.. Alexander Bublik became the first player from independent Kazakhstan to break into the top 10 of the ATP singles rankings. Anna Danilina has strengthened Kazakhstan’s position in world doubles tennis by winning WTA 1000 tournaments and reaching the finals of Grand Slam tournaments.
Kazakhstan is also steadily strengthening its position at junior level. Following the under-14 team’s fourth-place finish at the world championship and the qualification of junior boys' and girls' teams for the final stages of the junior Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, Kazakhstani tennis players have been consistently achieving strong results in Grand Slam tournaments. Zangar Nurlanuly’s semifinal appearance at the junior Australian Open was a landmark achievement. Amir Omarkhanov, Damir Zhalgasbay, Danial Rakhmatullaev, Sonya Zhienbaeva and other members of the younger generation are performing successfully at major junior tournaments, gradually making a smooth transition to the professional ranks.
In October 2019, a charity showcase match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal took place in Astana. On the same day, the eminent tennis players held a workshop for young Kazakhstani tennis players who came to Astana from all regions of the country.
The ATP 250 Astana Open was held in Kazakhstan from 26 October to 1 November 2020, with the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s efforts highly commended by the ATP Tour.
Back-to-back ATP 250 and WTA 250 tournaments were held in 2021, and a permanent license for hosting the ATP 250 in Kazakhstan was acquired. In 2022, due to the cancellation of the tournament in Beijing and the excellent reputation of the tournament in Astana, ATP agreed to temporarily upgrade the category of the tournament to ATP 500. The ATP 500 Astana Open was attended by six of the top ten players, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In 2024, the ATP 250 tournament was held in Almaty for the first time, attracting over 50,000 attendees. Representatives of the ATP and the players themselves praised the high level of tournament organization in Kazakhstan. The Almaty Open received top ratings from players, ranking among the top three tournaments of 2024 across more than 30 criteria, including court quality, locker room comfort, spectator support, atmosphere, and more.
Charitable activities
The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was established in 2014 with a mission to drive sustainable improvement to the quality of life in Kazakhstan by promoting health, education, and cultural development. The total value of the projects implemented by the Foundation is more than USD$240 million.
The Foundation allocated over USD$16 million to its flagship project «Autism. One World for All» which provides early intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and support for their families. More than 20,000 children with ASD have benefited from support offered by 13 Asyl Miras Autism Centers over the course of ten years.
The Foundation is one of few local organizations in Kazakhstan to oversee a diverse portfolio of nationwide projects. This versatile approach promotes sustainable improvement where it is needed most, while also enabling the Foundation to respond to critical emergencies. In addition to providing emergency relief at the local level, in 2023 the Foundation donated USD$5 million to provide relief in Turkey following the devastating earthquake. USD$1 million was donated to the families of the miners who died in the Kostenko mine explosion in October 2023.
In 2024, the Foundation allocated approximately USD$26 million to address the aftermath of the large-scale floods in Kazakhstan. These funds were used to provide immediate assistance and to ensure housing for over 500 families in the Aktobe and Akmola regions.
To support regional social development, the Foundation has initiated a variety of social infrastructure projects in different regions of Kazakhstan worth over USD$133 million, transferring them to the state free of charge. In September 2023, a new school, funded by the Foundation, opened in the city of Kosshy. It is the first school in the country to comply with the requirements of the «Comfortable School» national standard. In September 2024, two more schools of the same type were opened in the Almaty region, and in November, a new passenger terminal was opened at Kyzylorda Airport.
In March 2025, a new public and cultural center with a capacity of over 1,000 people and covering 8,500 square meters opened in Kosshy. The center combines sports, educational, and leisure facilities. Moreover, in 2026, the Foundation transferred the modern Shabyt Youth Development Center, with a total area of 2,600 square meters, to the city of Zhezkazgan.
In addition to his philanthropic activities, Mr Utemuratov supports education projects in Kazakhstan. Since 2007, he consistently invests in the development of Narxoz University, one of the leading private universities in Kazakhstan. Bulat Utemuratov is also one of the founders of the Haileybury International Schools in Kazakhstan. The schools offer a broad liberal education following the traditions of independent British schooling.
In October 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen educational infrastructure, improve the education quality and train world-class professionals in the fields of artificial intelligence, engineering, and robotics, Haileybury Astana opened a state-of-the-art SciTech Hub, a next-generation educational center that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in an interdisciplinary format. The project cost 3.4 billion tenge.
The proceeds of these institutions are reinvested in developing human resources, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of education.
In December 2023, Mr Utemuratov was named Philanthropist of the Year by the independent members of the Kazakhstan Growth Forum’s Expert Council in recognition of social projects. In June 2024, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan awarded the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation with the award in the «Service to Society» category. The winners were selected by an independent panel during the annual AmCham ceremony held in Astana.
In 2025, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation received the American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan award in the Healthcare category for the «Autism. One World for All» program and won the EUROBAK Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for the construction of a multifunctional community center in Kosshy.
