From a fan’s perspective, Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr. is one of the more infuriating players at the top levels of tennis today. He is a supremely talented shot-maker, and his stunning variety of shots is virtually unparalleled on tour. His ability to cycle between extreme spins and massive flat groundstrokes must be maddening for other players.

Dolgopolov also has Gilbert’s Syndrome, which is a hereditary disorder that can cause him to be fatigued. It is impossible to tell which of his matches are affected by this condition, but it is definitely to blame for at least some of his troubles. And, in a sport as mentally taxing as tennis, intermittent physical inhibitions can create psychological inhibitions.

What we can say about Dolgopolov is that after spending over two years as a consistent top-30 player, his ranking recently slipped to as low as world No. 57. He reached exactly one semifinal (and no finals) in all of 2013 after reaching nine semifinals in the two years before. While averaging four and a half semifinals per year won’t make someone an elite player, it will keep them solidly in the top 30, as Dolgopolov was.

Frankly, though, being a top-30 player is shooting too low for Dolgopolov. A player with as much talent as he has shouldn’t be relegated to winning one title or reaching two or three finals per year. He has the game to frustrate anyone and the power to hit just about everyone off the court. While his condition will hold him back at times, he at least has the ability to challenge everyone in the world at other times.

That is why watching him at the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro last week was so much fun. Dolgopolov showed a level of play (and he did it consistently too) that we had not seen from him in over a year. While he could not quite get over the hump to defeat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the final, that in no way detracts from his amazing week.

Before the final, Dolgopolov comprehensively dismantled world No. 14 Fabio Fognini in a way that almost no one has been able to do for a few years now. Part of it is the matchup, but Dolgopolov still executed in a way that made a top-15 player look silly on court. His victory over the fourth-ranked David Ferrer was just as impressive, if not quite as comprehensive. Very few people can beat Ferrer while playing a relatively similar style to him, and Dolgopolov did it without too much trouble.

At the end of the day, there is not much else to say about Dolgopolov. His talent is incredible, but the consistency and the health are never there. When he’s not on, matches get ugly very quickly. He’s always worth checking out when he plays,  however, for when his game is there it is some of the most enjoyable tennis in the world to watch.