Russian tennis star Roman Safiullin has quietly become one of the ATP Tour’s most dangerous dark horses, delivering jaw-dropping upsets against top-ranked players while climbing to career-high rankings. The 27-year-old Podolsk native, currently ranked World No. 68 (as of February 2025), has transformed from a Challenger-circuit grinder into a Grand Slam threat.
Breakthrough 2023 Season
Safiullin’s career exploded in 2023 when he reached his first Major quarterfinal at Wimbledon, defeating four seeded players including Denis Shapovalov. This made him only the 12th man in Open Era history to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals on his main draw debut. Later that year, he stunned World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters with a dominant straight-sets victory – still considered the biggest win of his career.
2024 Momentum
Building on his success, Safiullin reached his first ATP Tour final at the 2023 Chengdu Open and scored another top-10 victory over Alexander Zverev at the Shanghai Masters. His aggressive baseline game and improved serve (clocking 130+ mph) have made him particularly dangerous on hard courts.
Key Stats (2023-2024):
- 3 wins vs Top 10 opponents (Tsitsipas, Zverev, Alcaraz)
- Career-high ranking: No. 36 (January 2024)
- $1.13 million in prize money (2024 season)
Olympic Aspirations
With the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, Safiullin’s recent performances have positioned him as a potential medal contender for ROC. His ability to perform under pressure was demonstrated at the 2022 ATP Cup where he partnered with Daniil Medvedev to reach semifinals.
The Road Ahead
Despite early exits in recent tournaments like Doha and Hong Kong, analysts note Safiullin’s consistent improvement on return games (winning 42% of first-serve return points in 2024). Coach Andrey Kuznetsov has focused on refining his net play – a crucial adjustment for grass-court success.
