Roman Safiullin

Few players ranked outside the top 50 carry a heavier hit list. Roman Safiullin — born August 7, 1997, and competing under a neutral flag with no national affiliation — turned professional in 2015 off a genuine junior pedigree: the 2015 Australian Open boys' singles title and a peak of No. 2 in the ITF junior rankings. The pro climb was slower, years of Challenger grinding before the tour-level breakthrough arrived in his mid-20s.

The game is right-handed first-strike tennis built on the serve and forehand — the two shots his ATP bio lists as his favorites — behind a steady two-handed backhand. The numbers confirm the fast-court identity: 72% of first-serve points won across his career on The Drop Shot's record, and a hard-court skill rating (1686) roughly 250 points above his clay mark.

The 2023 season made his name. A quarterfinal run at Wimbledon ended in four sets against Jannik Sinner, and the autumn hard courts brought a 6-3 6-1 win over Alexander Zverev in Shanghai plus a 6-3 6-4 takedown of then-ATP No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters. The payoff came in January 2024: a career-high ATP No. 36. A first tour-level title still eludes him.

As of July 2026, Safiullin sits at ATP No. 96, rebuilt from No. 170 at the season's start — and the rebuild again ran through Wimbledon, where a five-set win over ATP No. 13 Andrey Rublev, closed 7-6(12) in the fifth, launched a round-of-16 run that only Novak Djokovic ended. He has now met Djokovic four times without a win.