Young star Timofey Skatov spoke to VAVEL on his US Open experience, his Davis Cup debut and his dreams of winning Wimbledon.
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On playing in the US Open
Skatov, 22, advanced through this year's qualifying tournament to play in the main draw of the US Open for the first time.
The Kazakh was rewarded with a match against world number 11 Alex Di Minaur, a big ask for Skatov, who is yet to win a match at the Grand Slam level.
"It was a really nice match against Alex, it was tough.
"I even had chances, in the fourth (set) I was 5-2 down and I got it back to 5-5," said Skatov.
Whilst the 22-year-old won a set against the Australian, he eventually lost in four competitive sets, a good learning experience for the world number 134.
"These guys play at a really good level, but I felt like I could play at that level.
"Maybe I need to practice more days and have a little bit more concentration to be able to play five sets against them.
"But I felt like I could play, and that's a really good feeling," said Skatov.
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On his debut disaster
Skatov played his first ATP match at home in Astana back in 2020, a tournament that he described as a 'disaster'.
"This tournament really was a disaster for me.
"This was my first tournament, I got a wildcard, I don't know what my ranking was. Maybe like 500? Maybe worse.
"I played against (Emil) Ruusuvuori. I mean, he played really well that day, but I had too much tension, I didn't feel the ball, I didn't feel anything," said Skatov.
The young Kazakh lost the match 6-2, 6-0, far from the dream debut Skatov may have hoped for.
"After the day I was like, "Oh my god this is a bit embarrassing".
"But that's ok, for most people the first step is difficult, but afterwards, things get much better," said the 22-year-old.
Things did improve for Skatov, as he won his first ATP main draw match a year later, to advance to the second round in Astana.
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On choosing to play for Kazakhstan
Born in Kazakhstan, Skatov moved to Russia at the age of one, and represented the country until 2018. However, like many others, he made the switch to play for his birth country Kazakhstan.
"The decision was made by my father.
"The Kazakhstan (Tennis) Federation is very supportive; they support their players very well.
"That was the main reason to come back and play for Kazakhstan," said Skatov.
2022 Wimbledon Champion, Elena Rybakina made the same move early on in her career, citing the nation's financial support as a major reason behind her switch.
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On the Davis Cup
Skatov made his Davis Cup debut in Chile earlier this year, an experience he will not soon forget.
"Yeah, it was a really interesting week.
"Playing my first Davis Cup in Chile against Chile, it was really tough.
"Since the first point, the Chileans were supporting like crazy, they go to tennis matches like football.
"It was really loud out there," said Skatov.
The debutant managed to keep calm throughout and performed for his country.
"I was just thinking that I have to focus on myself.
"We had our supporters from Kazakhstan, and they were doing a good job, I couldn't do nothing with all that support.
"In the end I played a really great match and I won," said the world number 134.
Skatov is joined in the Kazakshtan Davis Cup team by Kazakh number one Alexander Bublik, well known for his character on and off the court.
"He's funny, he's always talking, making jokes all the time.
"It's never boring with him.
"He's a really nice guy, sometimes on the court you don't see it, he's a bit different, but in general he's a good guy," said Skatov.
Aside from joking around, Bublik has helped Skatov improve his game.
"On the court it's really great for me.
"He has a huge service and to practice with him and to adapt to his speed, it's really working well for me," said the 22-year-old.
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On his Wimbledon dream
Like many on the ATP Tour, Skatov dreamt of winning the biggest tournaments in tennis as a youngster.
"When I was like four years old, I was in kindergarten. They ask you to draw your dream, what you would like to achieve.
"I remember that I drew the Wimbledon title.
"I would really like to win Wimbledon, that would be nice," said the young Kazakh.
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On playing Carlos Alcaraz
Rising the ranks of the ATP Tour, Skatov has played some of the best young players of this generation, having mixed success.
"[Carlos] Alcaraz I played twice, and both times I lost against him.
"When I was 18/19, he was only 16 or something like that, you could already see him doing the same things he does now, but now it's a bit faster.
"His service was already huge, he was really fast and hitting big strokes.
"You could already see that he would be a big star," said the young talent.
Skatov also had the chance to play world number five Holger Rune.
"Rune, we are like 2-2. First two matches I won, then he won two.
"He's really competitive, all of the matches were a real battle. You need to suffer a lot to beat him.
"He also has a big service, and a really good backhand.
"He became a star," said Skatov.
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On his goals for the future
Chasing down the top 100, Skatov has already made some big decisions to improve his game.
Moving to Valencia to train was perhaps the biggest life change he has made.
"My father found a coach, Jose Altur, who I'm working with now.
"He's a really experienced guy, before in this academy he was practising with David Ferrer, Pablo Andujar and Marat Safin," said Skatov.
Altur has helped develop Skatov's game to suit him.
"He saw the game that could work for me.
"I'm not a really big, tall guy, who can serve 200kmh, so I have to be consistent and I have to be in good shape.
"I think it was a really good decision for me, a really wise one.
"I'm really happy here in Valencia now," said the Kazakh.
These changes have allowed Skatov to dream of entering the top 100, something he believes could happen in the next 12 months.
"Yeah I would like to enter the top 100, and then let's see how deep I can go.
"But, the most important thing is to improve.
"Also to stay healthy, which is really important on tour, the more weeks you can play, the more chances you get," said Skatov.