The Dog days are over, but won’t be forgotten by those who saw them.
Alexandr Dolgogpolov, aka “The Dog”, officially retired from the pro circuit today at the age of 32. Dolgopolov was forced to pull the plug on his career after undergoing a pair of wrist surgeries.
The former world No. 13 won three career ATP titles, reached the 2011 Australian Open quarterfinals, earned more than $7 million in prize money and leaves behind a legacy as an entertaining shotmaker who could thrill fans and unsettle opponents with his flair for the unlikely strike.
“I hope I was fun to watch,” Dolgopolov told ATPTour.com. “I never broke any tennis records, but I hope I played entertaining tennis for fans. My wrist injury happened in Australia after mis-hitting a return in practice.
“I felt pain, but nothing serious. I reached the Australian Open third round and returned to Europe, but I never realized that it would be career ending. I’ve tried for a couple of years, had two surgeries and I still have pain.”
The unpredictable Ukranian is an airborne avenger of a shot-maker who shows little conscience on court. He’ll miss a mind-numbing drop shot from a few feet behind the baseline than hurl himself into an electrifying forehand drive down the line.
That quality— combined with eye-popping speed around the court— can make him exhilarating to watch and exasperating to player to face.
Fellow players, including Roger Federer, praised Dolgopolov as an exciting opponent.
