Journalists use lots of words to describe professional tennis players. And the word that immediately materialises when thinking of how to convey Dustin Brown is: unconventional.
Unconventional in his playing style. Unconventional in his approach. Unconventional in his appearance, his upbringing, his background. The game is richer for it.
Had they not seen or heard of him before, tennis fans will certainly know the dreadlocked, tattooed, half-German, half-Jamaican now – on Thursday evening at Wimbledon, he recorded the most stunning upset of the tournament so far to send two-time champion Rafael Nadal packing.
“Probably the best day of my life so far,” he told the media, attending his press conference with his distinctive dreadlocks cocooned in a rastacap and wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with a superman logo in the colours of the German flag.
I am the way I am. I've been like this all my life
This day came at age 30, in his 13th year as a professional. Until relatively recently, the German-born Brown had journeyed around the world on the Futures and Challenger circuits; since 2010, his ranking has hovered in and around the top 100, peaking at No.78 in June 2014. Between 2004 and 2007 he travelled between tournaments in a Volkswagen camper van, a gift from his parents.
His rise into the professional tennis ranks began in the most unlikely of places. After being born and raised in Germany – his mother Inge is German – his family left his birth country in August 1996 and settled in Montego, Jamaica – his father’s homeland. It was there he began to develop his game.
His father’s face is tattooed on his torso, something he revealed when he lifted up his shirt in celebration following his four-set win over Nadal.
“I have the portrait of my dad at home in my bedroom, also. I don't get to see him that often. Normally in the off-season,” he explained.
“It's been a very long road for me and my whole family. That's one of the things I've been wanting to do for a very long time and I had the opportunity to do that with a great tattoo artist in Cologne in Germany last year.”
The tattoo, and the dreadlocks – his Twitter handle is @DreddyTennis – are just a few of the reasons that make him a compelling player to watch. His unorthodox style features a huge serve, attacking instincts and athletic gifts akin to a Gael Monfils – his vertical leap, limber frame and wristy, loose style help produce some stunning shots.
Fluent in German, English and Jamaican, he is an articulate and forthright presence in press.
“I am the way I am. I've been like this all my life. Obviously it's great that people appreciate it. But on the other side, if I would worry too much about what people think about everything I do, then I wouldn't have the hair and probably definitely wouldn't look the way I look,” he said.
“Obviously all of (my life experience) has made me to the person I am, tennis-wise and also as a person and as a character. And I guess all that led to this day today, which is obviously a great day ... It's difficult when people ask me that about myself because for me it's normal. I could be sitting here and saying, Why are you guys all different? It's a difficult question. I've been like this. I'm not trying to be a certain way. That is how I am, and always have been. Obviously playing this sport, have to adapt a few things to be able to play the sport. But I try not to change myself too much while I'm doing that.”
There is no reason he should change, for his results of late are certainly gaining him plenty of respect, credibility and status. This was actually his second defeat of Nadal; last year in Halle, he inflicted a straight-sets defeat on the then world No.1. He is one of few players who can say they are undefeated against a legend of the game.
Yet for every ground-breaking win, he is just as likely to put in a shocker, as he admitted in his media conference. Who knows which version of the player will emerge to contest his third-round match against No.22 seed Viktor Troicki?
Whichever does, it is guaranteed to be entertaining. And, of course, unconventional. “When we watch matches it's like, ‘OK, that's a good shot, maybe that was stupid’. That is how I am. That's what makes me dangerous, especially on these surfaces,” he said.
“It took a while for me to learn to know that I can win a match like this on a given day, but I can also play a shocking match ... I guess the main thing for me is to accept that my game has that span, and that's the things I need to accept and know what I need to be doing on the court and do that.
“Either I win or I lose.”
