When Tennis' Most Unorthodox Player Challenged Nadal's Greatest Hard Court Streak 

Nadal had won the last 22 matches in North America coming in to this match!

Dolgo has the most unusual groundstrokes but hits the ball so freakin early it's on you before you knew what hit you! He's also an exceptional athlete‼

Loved watching Dolgopolov, first 'unorthodox' player I saw who made me excited to keep up with players outside the normal big stars. Hope he's well and makes it home safely

Incredible guts from Dolgopolov! Nadal does not beat himself and it takes massive guts to defeat him. That look of relief on his face too when he finally took the match!

Thanks for remembering the dog! I loved the way he hitted the ball on the rise of the toss on his serve, those super flat explosive bh's, and his crazy slice shots. It was always entertaining to watch him play with his funky play style :)

Dolgo was unbelievably talented.

i used to love watching Dolgopolov. he was mesmerizing

I love how he took the time to conceal the score, but there’s a massive scoreboard displayed in the background 😂

The one time I went to Indian Wells, it was on that day, and I sat in the upper deck completely transfixed on that match. I was always a fan of Dolgopolov because of his insane shot making ability. I put him in the same category as Fognini...not particularly big guys, but super talented, fast, and big hitters for their size. Fognini was/is still much more of a head case, while Dolgopolov would sometimes play a little too loose. But both always so fun to watch. Hope & pray Dolgopolov stays safe in the war to defend Ukraine.

I loved his quick and explosive shots. Sometimes you didnt really know what shot or angle he was doing until last second.

Dolgopolov is a warrior on the tennis court. He is also a warrior defending his homeland.

Dolgopolov was truly an enjoyable player to watch because he doesn't just stick to executing well-mastered tactical patterns, but he is also capable of showing initiative according to the game situations. And this ability is not so common!

Miss this guy. Right up there with the most entertaining and talented we've seen. So cool too.

Man I loved Dolgopolov. Absolute genius.

I've never ever seen such a speedy footwork like Dolgo demonstrated in that match. The monster😮

Great match bro! Miss this guy on the tour

I'm a simple man , I see a player who hits hard and early , I support him . Federer , Davydenko , Blake , Delpotro are all my favorites

Unorthodox but very effective!

Young Medvedev looked at Dolgopolov and thought: "I can fix his shots"

Luv and miss Dolgo! Such a unique style of play. The body English he'd put on some strokes was fun to watch as well.

Dolgopolov was one of my favourite players. A thrilling player to watch. Power, anticipation, unpredictable shots and great touch.

FUN FACT: Alexandr Dolgopolov and Xavier Malisse defeated Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the final, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), [10-7] to win the men's doubles tennis title at the 2011 Indian Wells Masters. (source: Wikipedia) That must have been some match ..

Unbelievable. What a talent. Pure. Complicated, beautiful to watch. I was live at that match. Probably 1 of 7-8 people, vs 15 000 that were rooting for Alex. Great moment in tennis!

He’s also a very smiley guy, with infectious positivity on court. A guy well known for his effervescent personality, never looking miserable

Wow, I forgot how much I loved watching Dolgo. What a player! I knew nothing about him and was walking out of the grounds at IW at night to go home and heard excitement on court 6. First time I had seen him play, possibly this same year, and he was in an absolute dogfight with someone I can’t remember and came out on top in the 3rd set TB. Crowd was going wild for him and wouldn’t stop cheering and then he threw his shoes to the crowd! A brilliant wait to end the night and made me a lifetime fan.

Great video!! I miss Dolgopolov.

Dolgo had a firecracker of a backhand!

Dolgopolov was one of those few and rare players like Roscoe Tanner, Kevin Curren, and myself who hit their serve while the toss is still going up. Most all players hit the toss at its apex or on the way down. He was a big hitter.

Dolgopolov's forehand looks like Richard Gasquet's one, and his backhands are amazing especially the short ones with angles. I had never seen his play before, thanks for posting.

Dolgo is one of the most exciting players. I miss him

Yes I missed Dolgopolov also. ❤❤❤ I remember his unique fast so early hit groundstrokes..

Dolgo was a beast! Different breed

I remember I used to love watching a Dolgopolov match because you never knew what was gonna happen 😂

Dolgopolov is a beast.... It takes one to defeat one.....

Dogopolov, unorthodox groundstrokes but very effective, perhaps the greatest maximizer of his serve (dude barely 6ft and can serve at same contact point,pace and spin as most 6'7 players)

I miss watching Dolgo play he just bounced around the court like a flea and made you earn every point. Best unorthodox ball striker ever.

Exactly, you entered the technical team but you perfectly explained Gauff's shortcomings at this moment. She is still young and could try to improve something otherwise she will remain a halfway player

Apart from the tennis match itself, more than a decent editing I have to admit, and a pleasure to watch. +1 subscriber, wish your channel develops and grows.

When you have a name like Dolgopolov you have to do things extraordinarily.

Meddy took dolgo unorthodox to whole new level by winning major 😂

Great edit

Dolgo’s backhand is so much quicker than his forehand 😂

That was entertaining i loved it :)

Incredible how quickly Dolgopalov manages to overwhelm the opponent a few balls in! Would need someone like a Verdasco with great angles to counter it by making it uneasy and steal time ...

I loved watching this guy back in the day.

Havent thought about Dolgo for a while but that backhand is as crispy as ever. He reminds me of Paul but with the ball speed of Sinner, especially bh

I saw Dolgo a couple time up close at IW. Amazing performer.

hahaha, nice trick bro :D i love it!

Damn, I miss Dolgopolov. It seems like he fell off the radar out of nowhere. But boy was he a joy to watch when he was hitting it like this. Hope him and the family have been keeping well ❤

most explosive player

I miss Dolgopolov. Injuries meant that he wasn’t supposed to have a long tennis career but he had a special game. In 2014 he had a big chance at beating Djokovic at Cincinnati. He couldn’t get it done and it felt like things fell apart after that.

His backhand is so interesting

I will NEVER forget that service motion!!!

I miss the old IW fast courts. Nowadays it’s been almost as slow as some clay courts.

Saw Dolgo play Jesse Levine on Court 17 at the USOpen. Came back from two sets down in an epic battle. He had the majority of the crowd behind him at an American tournament! Very few players are as entertaining to watch. Fast twitch muscles is only part of the way to describe why he was so dangerous. Shame he battled a physical ailment that made it difficult for him in long contests.

His backhand is insane!!!

He was my favorite at that era..

Bet Nadal never forgot that encounter. Dolgopolov was a genius........

I remember Dog cranking serves in the 140s even given his smaller stature

Dolgopolov was a joy to watch. Regardless his unusual style. So amazing

Dolgo made fun to watch tennis. I'd had pay to see him play

I've seen him play in Como and he was amazing.

Not sure what happened to him but this man was a true talent in his generation.

What a match incredible!!!

Dolgo is a legend🎉

When Dolgo was literally faster than the tennis ball.. what a match and what a drama!! 😅

Loved watching him!

I was at that match and remember it quite vividly ))

What a match ..

El “error no forzado”, en el penúltimo punto del partido, fue forzado por la decenas de reveses planos cruzados a dos manos 🙌🏿💥🎾

Amazing play, how come I've never heard of him....

Great match!

Dolgopolov was one of my favourite players. I always thought he had the potential to make it to No.1.

Muitíssimo talentoso!

Why did i think this was Zverev for a minute lol

Almost Santoro-like in his unusual approach to the game, though The Magician's style of tennis was even weirder. The type of player that will make Nadal wake up screaming in the middle of the night for many years to come, just like Dustin Brown.

Scary level

I pray that he’s protected by the Lord knowing he’s fighting for his country. He is such a great gentleman and outstanding athlete. God bless him and pray he gets home safe 😢❤

Nadal leads h2h with Dolgopolov with 7-2. More interesting are Rafa's matches with Dustin Brown (2-0 Brown h2h). Both on grass.

He reminds me of niculescu. Likes to flatten backhand. Floats a lot of forehands. Then inject pace out of nowhere.

He kept Djoker on the ropes in a match at the US open and even nearly beat him

Dolgopolov had too much talent for what he went on to achieve

I miss Dolgo.. his game was so unpredictable

The Dog was a tremendous player. Such a shame he had to retire early. This was a great performance.

What a player

R.I.P Dolgopolov, he was a great player

I don’t feel he’s that unorthodox to be honest, he takes the ball really early though and that is rare. Super talented dude, just couldn’t put it all together mentally, but that’s common in tennis.

My gosh! Dolgopolov is like a Rag Doll out there but he gets it done!

Dolgopolov fighting for Ukraine now as he did against Nadal in this match.

I miss watching Dolgopolov play but he has more important things now

I would put also Gulbis in that category. With Dolgo & Gulbis even the Big3 can’t read their games

No spoiler and the scoreboard couldnt be bigger on the lebt of the screen in the first seconds haha

Ho avuto la fortuna e il piacere di vederlo giocare dal vivo al Challenger di Como prima che esplodesse... Pochi mesi prima... Giocatore veramente impressionante. Tirava delle rasoiate incredibili...

Классная игра!👍

It is nadal who is unorthodox. Dolgopolov is an orthodox player meeting the ball early and attacking the net

Then only thing I found unusual is his inside out forehand seems to have some slice to it.

nice 👍

Why his pic on thumbnail reminds me of Ostapenko 😂😂

And today Nordi beat Novak in Indian Wells 2024!

0:49 No Spoilers-> shows score in background 🤣