Jenson Brooksby is only 24 years old, but he’s endured a rollercoaster of a career in tennis.
Emerging as a promising talent on the ATP Tour, Brooksby’s life was rocked in 2023 when he was handed an 18-month ban for missing three doping tests.
It was later reduced to 13 months, meaning he was eligible to return to the court in March 2024, but Brooksby won’t feature competitively until the 2025 tennis season gets underway.
Ahead of his comeback, the American has opened up about his experience with autism and how it has impacted not only his career, but his life as well.
Speaking to AP News, Brooksby stated: “It’s … just something I don’t want to have to keep to myself.
“It’s obviously a personal topic that, even with people you may feel very comfortable with — in my mind, at least for a long time — it wasn’t [something] to just go blurting out as part of a conversation, you know?
“But I’ve always thought about it and … I, eventually, just wanted to talk about it. I just want people to know me for who I am fully, and that’s just another part of me. I’ve had a lot of time out of playing and a lot of thinking I’ve had to do.”
Brooksby revealed he was non-verbal until the age of four and spent 40 hours a week with therapists learning how to talk.
As a player, he peaked at world No.33 before his ban was issued, and Brooksby will be keen to re-establish himself on the tour when he returns in January.
But after a hefty lay-off of close to two years due to injuries and then suspension, the Calafornian-born ace isn’t putting any pressure on himself upon his return.
He continued: “Multiple bad things just happened at once. It was a lot to take, mentally
“Try to become better. That’s the goal.”
“I just want people to know me for who I am fully, and that’s just another part of me. I’ve had a lot of time out of playing and a lot of thinking I’ve had to do.”
Brooksby will kick his campaign off down under, likely taking part on the lower-level Challenger Tour in Canberra, before gearing up for the Australian Open in mid-January.
Melbourne remains the scene of Brooksby’s greatest career upset, having beaten Casper Ruud at the Australian Open in January 2023. How he’d love to kick off his return with a result of similar magnitude next month.
