FORGOTTEN TENNIS STARS: Born entertainer German-Jamaican ace Dustin Brown known for trick shots and remaining unbeaten over Rafael Nadal
ATP
In a new series on TennisUpToDate, we will look back on some players from both ATP and WTA from all eras who are Forgotten Tennis Stars, whether well-known for a while or just a time with Dustin Brown the first player profiled.
Brown is a more recent example and one that might be more known than completely forgotten but shone brightly between 2014-2016 in the era of the Big Three rising to fame for beating a certain member of that collective in Rafael Nadal multiple times.
Known as 'Dreddy' for his unmistakeable, long dreadlocked hair, he was one of the original entertainers alongside Gael Monfils as well as now Alexander Bublik and Nick Kyrgios.
Origins
Born on 8 December 1984 in West Germany, his father Leroy met his mother Inge in Jamaica and they settled in Celle for a time in which he gained his dual nationality in which he would represent both countries throughout his career.
He started playing tennis aged five but didn't focus on the sport until he was eight with his idol supposedly Russian ace, Marat Safin. The family returned to Jamaica in 1996 due to the cost of playing in Germany but after growing increasingly unhappy with the courts over there, he returned to his initial home at the age of 20 living out of a campervan.
Turning pro and initial success
Becoming a professional in 2002 after reaching a high junior ranking of 61, he made it to 11 ITF Singles finals and 32 doubles finals showing his prowess that he didn't in the juniors.
Winning his first Challenger though didn't come until 2009 winning the Samarkand Challenger and he made four more finals in the process. 2010 was considered a breakout as he cracked the top 100 and reached multiple ATP Quarter-Finals as well as the second round at the US Open.
At 2013 Wimbledon saw Brown find his love of the grass reaching the third round defeating Guillermo Garcia Lopez, Lleyton Hewitt before falling to another specialist in Adrian Mannarino in the third round.
Nadal wins
But in 2014 and 2015 were his big years that have been remembered as he defeated Rafael Nadal at both Halle in 2014 and then Wimbledon in 2015 with Brown joining the likes of Lukas Rosol and Gilles Muller in dumping out the spaniard.
This gave him worldwide acclaim and also put new eyes on his watchable style of tennis and is still remembered as a classic win on SW19.
Breakout 2016
While his tennis career will be remembered for being only one of two players to keep an unbeaten record over Rafael Nadal (as of now), he reached two semi-finals on tour at Open Sud de France and Swiss Open Gstaad reaching No.64 in the world in his best year to date.
More upsets and retiring at 2021 Stuttgart Open from singles
More upsets came with victory over Marin Cilic at Sud de France in 2017 and his final Grand Slam came at the 2018 Australian Open as he lost to Joao Sousa.
Winning a first title in three years on the Challenger Tour in Sophia Antipolis, he also in 2019 upset Alexander Zverev at the 2019 Stuttgart Open before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Quarter-Finals.
This was his last real success with Brown not able to qualify for multiple Grand Slam tournaments through qualifying and finding more success in doubles tennis. He received a wildcard into the 2021 Stuttgart Open and this was the last professional singles match he has had losing to Nikoloz Basilashvili.
He has mainly played Doubles up to the end of 2022. On the Challenger Tour, he is nearly back into the top 100 before his season was cut short. At the age of 38, the end of his singles career is likely but becoming a fixture on the doubles tour seems to be the course of action now for Brown.
A player who will always be remembered for his entertaining style of play and famous wins but perhaps did not achieve up to his potential after reaching the heights.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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