Roman Safiullin Stuns Mallorca Open: Dramatic Comeback Win Sets Stage for Wimbledon Charge

Roman Safiullin arrives at the 2025 Mallorca Championships desperate to flip the script on a difficult spring. The 27-year-old Russian has dropped six consecutive tour-level matches, his last victory coming back in April. Yet Mallorca’s slick grass could be the perfect reset: Safiullin owns the heavier serve and flatter baseline game that traditionally translate well on the surface, and he has already beaten first-round opponent Alexandre Muller twice on hard courts without conceding a set. Monday’s opening clash (June 23) is Muller's Mallorca debut, and the Frenchman enters with a 3-6 career record on grass, compared with Safiullin’s 10 main-draw wins on the turf circuit. Oddsmakers have therefore installed the Russian as a narrow favorite despite his skid. Why the match matters • Ranking pressure: Safiullin sits just outside the Top 45 and defends only 45 points this fortnight, giving him a chance to springboard toward a Wimbledon seeding. • Draw opening: A victory could set up a second-round meeting with rising Serbian Hamad Medjedovic before a possible quarter-final date with Felix Auger-Aliassime and a semifinal against Tallon Griekspoor. • Confidence stakes: Ending a two-month drought would inject momentum ahead of the grass-court major at SW19, where Safiullin memorably reached the 2023 quarter-finals. Key tactical angles 1. First-serve percentage: Safiullin averages 63 % first serves in on grass; when he hits that mark, he wins 74 % of those points. Muller’s return stats dip below 30 % success against big servers, signaling an area the Russian must exploit. 2. Backhand patterns: Both men prefer inside-out forehands, but Safiullin’s two-handed backhand stays lower through the court, especially in cross-court exchanges—an edge on fast lawns. 3. Transition game: Expect Safiullin to finish points at net; in his 2023 grass campaign he won 67 % of approaches, while Muller converted only 51 %. What Safiullin said last year still resonates: “If I trust my serve, the rest of my game flows.” He now has the opportunity—and the surface—to prove it. Outlook Win or lose, the opening round will give a clear read on Safiullin’s Wimbledon prospects. A deep Mallorca run could catapult him back into the conversation as one of the ATP’s most dangerous floaters on grass, while an early exit would extend the slump and leave minimal time for course correction before London. Fans can follow live scores from 10:00 UTC on Monday and stream the match on ATP’s official platforms.