Safar Rasulov Came To America For An Education & Tennis. He Comments On The American Dream And More

(A version of this story was originally published in Hometown News Volusia on Sept. 18, 2025. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation law restricted access to Hometown News. It is hoped that this version will not have similar restrictions.)

Safar Rasulov, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student, is so good at juggling a myriad of commitments it's a wonder he hasn't put aside the idea of being a pilot or pro tennis player and gone into the business of lifestyle manager, advising others on how to succeed and best utilize their time.

Oh, he isn't studying for a private pilot license at Embry-Riddle. That is being done off campus.  At the university, he is finalizing his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics concurrent with an accelerated MBA in Aviation Management.

Mr. Rasulov is graduating "this semester from the bachelor's, and the MBA in the fall of 26," he said while taking a breather in a Daytona coffee shoppe. Just short of an hour before tennis practice.

He explained how he manages his day. "It's very challenging, but you got to keep up with your schedule. And they say you have to enjoy college. People older than me, I guess you could say, wiser than me. Say, these are the years you have to enjoy life."

He said he is not enjoying life as much as he'd like, but given how busy he is, "I don't think of that. I think of what am I supposed to do within the next hour?"

Born in Moscow, Mr. Rasulov mixes an earnest demeanor with occasional smiles and a dry wit to present as a person who can succeed at a high level.

Mr. Rasulov's family moved from Moscow when he was an infant to Baku, Azerbaijan. His father was in the Azerbaijani military, as is typical for military families there were a few more moves.

When he was four, they moved to Germany. Berlin was where he began to play tennis based on a doctor's advice to get exercise for an asthma condition. Shortly after taking up the sport, the asthma went away. Still, "I kept playing and playing."

Mr. Rasulov began to take tennis seriously after they moved to Spain. He became highly ranked, competed against Carlos Alcaraz, who is ranked number one in the world, and, in 2024, represented Azerbaijan in the Davis Cup, where he went 4-0.

For a person in their early 20s, he is well-traveled. "I've been everywhere, almost, in the world." And Daytona Beach compares well, "I'd say Daytona is one of the nicer places I've been to."

As a teen, his parents wanted him to focus on his education. "I don't like to disagree with my parents, so I did that." He said that he has no regrets, but "I believe if I would have focused solely on tennis, going pro is a possibility."

The steep cost of going pro is a concern, but on the court, he estimates “Two, three months of intense training" is all he needs to compete. It isn't out of the question, though he thinks financial support would be his biggest obstacle.

Mr. Rasulov came to the U.S. to combine his love of tennis with his parents' push for education.

In 2021, "I got a tennis scholarship, and I said, 'Okay, I'll come and see how it is." The scholarship offer came from the University of Texas at Tyler. While there, he was selected for the Lone Star Conference All-Tournament Team and made the Spring 2022 President's Honor Roll.

He had "issues with scholarship matters" that necessitated a last-minute scramble to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Georgia. He attended the JUCO for two semesters before settling in at Embry-Riddle.

Last year, as a junior, Mr. Rasulov was an ITA Scholar Athlete and a member of the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. Ranking No.1 on ERAU's team and 39 of 75 in the final ITA singles poll.

An injury kept him out of competition in his senior year, but that time off, termed a medical hardship, will allow him to play for ERAU next spring as he pursues his master's degree.

Commenting on Embry-Riddle, he said that he knew it would be challenging academically because it's a top aviation school.

 "In terms of people," he said. "All of them are quite nice. Every person is focused on what they're doing." Then he leaned into his dry wit, "If you ask for help, they'll most likely help."

Jokes aside, he has a message that he wants the Azerbaijanis and the rest of the Caucasus to know. "Even if it's a sport as niche as tennis, you can get to this stage, you can get at least to the college stage. You can come from all the way there, to the United States and get a full scholarship and do something in life. A lot of people are stuck there, and this is just a message for them."

At times, Mr. Rasulov seems to be describing the American dream. asked if that still exists, he commented, "In a sense, I believe it still exists…you have to be grounded and understand what's what."

As an example, he noted there is good money in a US college education, but that has to be balanced against not seeing family, "it depends on what you want to sacrifice."