“Sport was a big release for me. I think I had that mindset of competing and to be good at something,” spoke Jenson Brooksby on his autism diagnosis after returning to the tour from a 13-month suspension due to anti-doping violations earlier this year. The crafty talent is looking to restore balance on the tour and, is once again in the Masters 1000 field using a protected ranking. While he is still finding his best form, the question is whether the American player can take another step in the right direction with a few wins in South Beach. He is slated to lock horns with Roman Safiullin in the opening round of the Miami Open on Friday, March 21. Let’s dive into the details. 

Brooksby vs Safiullin: Preview

Brooksby will enter the second half of Sunshine Double after earning his first tour-level win since 2023 in Indian Wells. The American sensation outplayed Benjamin Bonzi 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the event’s opener and later, downed Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in second. However, his campaign came to an end after eventual champion Jack Draper defeated him 6-4, 7-5 in the third round. 

Meanwhile, Safiullin also competed in Tennis Paradise. He recorded a strong start to his Masters 1000 run with a commanding win over Reilly Opelka but, unfortunately, came up short against Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 64. He then jetted off for a Challenger event in Phoenix and will enter the Miami Open on the back of a hard-fought Round of 16 loss to Colton Smith. 

Brooksby vs Safiullin: Head-to-Head

Both players have never met on the competitive circuit, and as a result, their head-to-head tally is locked at 0-0. Their first-round encounter at the Miami Open will count as their maiden meeting on ATP, as both players will aim to register a win in their favor. 

Prediction: Brooksby to win in straight sets

Jenson Brooksby’s 2025 season has been a mixed bag so far. The American sensation has yet to record noteworthy results but, with little experience competing in the last two years, the 24-year-old is still hungry and hunting for a breakthrough. He commenced the season with a straight-set loss to countryman Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open. He suffered a similar fate in his successive two participations in Cleveland and Dallas. Though a slight change of pace was witnessed during his play at a Challenger event in San Diego, the young talent’s campaign remained rather short-scoped after he failed to make a deep run. However, the former World No. 33 has some pleasant memories in Miami. 

He reached the fourth round of the Masters 1000 event in 2022 and with a 2-9 win-loss record for the season, the American player is seemingly upping his performance. Though he will have crowd support rallying behind him, his Russian rival’s consistent participation on the tour might pose a significant threat to his chances.

On the other hand, Safiullin has recorded an underwhelming 1-6 win-loss record in the main draw of the tour-level events and has lost in the first round of his first five ATP tournaments this season. His only win came against Opelka in Indian Wells but the Russian sensation has bigger things to worry about. Ranked No. 60 at the start of the year, a further dip in ranking would mean that the 27-year-old will have to play qualifying rounds in the Masters 1000 events during the upcoming clay court swing. And having lost to World No. 261 Colton Smith in the Phoenix Challenger last week, the Russian player needs a miracle to turn things around. 

With a 1-2 win-loss record in Miami, chances are that Safiullin will be unable to absorb his American opponent’s pace in South Beach. If everything goes according to plan, the opening round of Sunshine Double should see Jenson Brooksby advance.