WIMBLEDON, England — Dustin Brown stands 6 feet 5 inches, with dreadlocks about half that long, and is listed at a lithe 172 pounds. He has a large tattoo of his father over his left rib cage, has rings in his ears and speaks English with a German-Caribbean accent.
He grew up in Germany and Jamaica, with parents from each of those countries, spent several years living in a camper van and driving around Europe to play tournaments, and used to string other players’ rackets for extra cash.
All of that sounds unusual to some, especially at a staid tennis establishment like Wimbledon. But not to Brown, whose Twitter handle isDreddyTennis.
“It’s difficult for me when people ask me about myself because for me it is normal,” Brown, 30, said to a roomful of reporters. “I could be sitting here and saying, ‘Why are you guys all different?’ ”
What is a little different is that Brown, ranked No. 102, has found a knack for beating Rafael Nadal, which he did on Thursday for the second time in two opportunities.
For the second time in two tries, Brown beat Nadal, the 10th seed, on grass. This time it was on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and after his 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Nadal, the No. 10 seed, Brown bounced around the grounds from one interview to another, with a modified Superman logo on his T-shirt, and accepted cheers and hugs from fans and fellow players, like Gaƫl Monfils.
John McEnroe, the former No. 1-ranked player who is an analyst for BBC, said it was one of the finest performances he had seen by a low-ranked player on Centre Court.