ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jenson Brooksby Pulling on the right shoulder of his red T-shirt and playing with some strands of his dirty blond hair, he spoke to The Associated Press about what he wanted from the world. world of tennisYes, but others too — to get to know him.
Once a member of an up-and-coming group of American men, Win big at a Grand Slam tournamentBrooksby wants people to know what happened during his “frustrating” nearly two years away from touring, which left him “easily depressed.” In 2022, just one year after turning pro, he was ranked 33rd at the age of 21, but is currently unranked due to injury, surgery, and injury. Bans related to missed drug tests It eventually decreased.
And as Brooksby prepares to compete again in January, including at the Australian Open, so will other players, including those with autism or those who know someone with autism. I want other people to hear about my lived experiences. and autism spectrum disorderhe spoke publicly for the first time in a recent interview.
“That’s something that… I don’t want to keep to myself,” Brooksby said over lunch in the boardroom after training. United States Tennis Association National Campus. The area, about 20 miles east of Walt Disney World, is where about a dozen tennis pros do their preseason training.
“It’s obviously a personal topic, and even with people you feel very comfortable with, it’s not something you just blurt out as part of a conversation, at least for a long time, in my opinion.” Brooks Bea, 24, was born in California and didn’t speak until she was 4 years old. “But I’ve always thought about it and ultimately just wanted to talk about it.”
He said that as a child, he spent about 40 hours a week with a therapist “just to start talking… (and) to get better at communication and social situations after that.”
What is autism?
No blood or biological tests autisma developmental disorder caused by brain differences identified by observing children’s behavior. Previously, autism was diagnosed only in children with severe language impairments, social impairments, and abnormal repetitive behaviors, but now it is more broadly defined and includes a group of milder related symptoms. It is also used to represent
brooksby He said his autism is a “huge strength” in “moments of pressure” on the court and that he can “focus very well on two or three specific details for long periods of time.” He also mentioned “things that make (tennis) a little bit more difficult.” He’ll explode when he’s losing or upset about certain shots or aspects of his technique, a tendency his athletic trainer Paul Kinney notes. This was because there were signs of discomfort, such as reaching for clothes or hair, or leaning forward with hands on knees.
Michelle Wagner, a certified behavior analyst who specializes in autism spectrum disorders, said Brooksby had “very severe symptoms” as a child, but is now “on the very mild end of the spectrum.” “It’s on the edge.” She said they first started working together when Brooksby was 2 years and 9 months old and had received the diagnosis from someone else. Wagner said his progress was an “unusual and unique result.”
Tennis player Jenson Brooksby practices at the USTA National Campus as coaches Lyne Williams (back left) and Eric Nunez look on, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Rau)
Why was Jenson Brooksby’s suspension shortened?
Brooksby was initially suspended for 18 months by the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) in October 2023.
He was not charged with testing positive for a prohibited drug, but with failing to take three drug tests within 12 months. According to the ITIA’s initial report, the athlete claimed that the misunderstanding with doping inspectors who tried to find him at a hotel in the Netherlands was “not due to (his) negligence.”
Mr Brooksby appealed, and he and the ITIA agreed to a reduced sentence, allowing him to return to prison in March 2024 instead of January 2025. The ITIA said that due to new information about the incident, his “degree of culpability…should be reassessed”. Circumstances that cause absence from a test. ” ITIA never announced what that new information was. A spokesperson declined to comment on the matter Wednesday.
But Wagner said the appeal includes her opinion. She oversaw Brooksby’s treatment plan until he was 6 years old, which included language development and age-appropriate self-help skills, such as dressing independently and packing his backpack for school.
“It was clear he needed intensive intervention,” she told The Associated Press at the time. “He had some serious behavioral issues and was… behind his peer group.”
As part of her appeal, Wagner said she explained how autism affects Brooksby’s decision-making as an adult, leading to what she called “deficiencies in executive function.” result. If you don’t, (certain other things) may happen. ”
Brooksby has been off the tennis tour for nearly two years.
Brooksby will return to the lower-tier Challenger Tour next month in Canberra, Australia, before heading to the Australian Open, which begins on January 12. It was there, in January 2023, that Brooksby upset the three-time Grand Slam runner — lifting Casper Ruud. Two days later, Brooksby lost to eventual semifinalist Tommy Paul.
The “Activities” section of Brooksby’s ATP Tour record ends here. First, in March of the same year, he underwent surgery on his left wrist. Then, in May, I had surgery on my right wrist. Then banned.
“Multiple bad things happened at once,” he said. “Mentally it was tough.”
After his suspension, Brooksby was unable to play right away, in part because he had shoulder pain when he resumed hitting, and in part because he was forming a new team. (He is currently coached by Eric Nunez and Lyne Williams, as well as Kinney, who was previously with him in 2022).
Kinney said Brooksby has been training to improve his body, including his posture, and parts of his game, such as his serve.
“Try to get better,” Brooksby said. “That’s the goal.”
Brooksby tennis highlights
The 6-foot-4 Brooksby has enough talent, in-game smarts and unique shot-making to beat major finalists Roode, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, Tomas Berdych and Kevin Anderson. Already shown.
High praise from 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic won a set by Brooksby before losing in the fourth round of the 2021 US Open.
When asked about some of the things Djokovic said that night — “You’ll see him a lot in the future” and “He plays a little unconventionally” — Brooksby nodded and said, “That’s it. I think it’s very accurate.” ”
He grunted on most of his groundstrokes and had white tape wrapped around his wrists during The Associated Press’ visit, practicing outdoors in the morning and indoors in the afternoon.
“It’s hard to say what the ceiling is. … He can be a top-10 player,” Nunez said. “When he competes in anything, he only has one gear, and that’s full-on mode.”
Tennis coaches Eric Nunez (left) practice with Ryne Williams (center) and Jenson Brooksby (right) at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 (AP Photo) / John Rau)
Why is Brooksby discussing his autism now?
“I just want people to know me for who I am. It’s just another part of me,” Brooksby said. “There was a lot of time away from playing and a lot of things to think about.”
It took me a while to get used to this idea.
“He was worried about what people would think of him,” said Amrit Narasimhan, a longtime adviser.
And now?
“He wants his players to understand him better, and that’s a big part of it,” Narasimhan said. “He wants to tell his story so people understand who he is.”
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Howard Fendrich has been a tennis writer for the Associated Press since 2002. You can read his story here. https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. AP Tennis Details: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
