| Roman Safiullin Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 1 in |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 7, 1997 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Spouse | Liudmyla Smolanova |
Roman Safiullin is a Russian professional tennis player who is adept at the singles format of the sport having been rated as high as world number 43 (in July 2023), as per the official ATP (The Association of Tennis Professionals, the governing body of men’s professional tennis) rankings. At Grand Slam (Australian Open/ French Open/ Wimbledon Championships/ US Open) tournaments, in the singles format, as of July 2023, his best performance was reaching the quarter-final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Representing Russia, Roman had clinched the ‘Bronze’ medal in the singles event of the 2017 edition of the Summer Universiade, an international multi-sport event organized by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (an organization responsible for the governance of worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 25).
Born Name
Roman Rishatovich Safiullin
Nick Name
Roman
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Residence
Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Tennis Player
Family
- Father – Rishat Safiullin (Tennis Coach)
- Mother – Marina Safiullin
- Siblings – Yulia Safiullin (Younger Sister)
Manager
He has been represented by ONE Sports Global Management, Sports Marketing & Talent Management Agency, Moscow Oblast, Russia.
Plays
Right-Handed (Two-Handed Backhand)
Turned Pro
2015
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Roman has dated –
- Liudmyla Smolanova (2020-Present) – Roman got engaged to a woman named Liudmyla Smolanova in 2020. The couple got married in November 2022.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Tatar descent on his father’s side and Russian descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Light Brown
Eye Color
Light Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Side-parted, receding hair
- Often sports a stubble or a thin beard
- Affable smile
Brand Endorsements
Roman has been sponsored by –
- Head Sport GmbH (American-Austrian sports equipment manufacturing company)
- Nike, Inc. (American multinational footwear, apparel, and sports equipment brand)
Roman Safiullin Favorite Things
- Tennis Surface – Hard
- Tennis Shots – Forehand, Serve
- Tennis Players/Role Models – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer
- Tennis Tournaments/Events – St. Petersburg Open, Kremlin Cup
- Cities On The ATP Tour – Melbourne, New York City
- Book – Rod Laver: An Autobiography (2014)
- Music Band/Group – Nickelback
- Movie – Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
- Cuisine – Japanese
- Subject In School – Mathematics
- Hobbies/Interests – Swimming, Playing Soccer, Travelling, Driving
Source – ATP Tour
Roman Safiullin Facts
- Roman started playing tennis when he was about 4 years old. He used to train with his father who used to work at a tennis academy at that time.
- At the youth tier, Roman had reached a combined world ranking of number 2 (in May 2014) and won the boys’ singles event at the 2015 Australian Open.
- In February 2022, he reached the quarter-final of an ATP Tour (a worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the ATP)-level event for the first time in his career – at the Open 13 Provence. There, he registered his first win over a player ranked in the ‘Top 10’ of the official ATP singles rankings – by defeating top seed and then world number 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).
- Roman was ranked 163rd in the world at that time. As of July 2023, this remained his only win against a player ranked in the ‘Top 10’ of the official ATP singles rankings. In the semi-final, he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets – although both were decided via tiebreaks (6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (5-7)).
- In September 2022, Roman reached the semi-final of an ATP Tour-level event for the 2nd time – at the Tel Aviv Open. Unfortunately, he lost again – this time to top seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets (1-6, 6-7 (3-7)).
- At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, as an unseeded player, he upset 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in a grueling 5-set encounter (2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5) in the first round. Roman then won his next 2 matches in straight sets before springing another surprise in the 4th round – a 4-set victory over 26th seed Denis Shapovalov (3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3).
- The win meant that he had reached the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career (previously, he had never even gone past the 2nd round in the singles event of a Grand Slam tournament).
- In the quarter-final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, he lost to 8th seed Jannik Sinner in 4 sets (4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 2-6). After the tournament, Roman broke into the ‘Top 50’ of the official ATP singles rankings for the first time in his career.
Featured Image by Roman Safiullin / Instagram
