Who is Jenson Brooksby who sensationally won the ATP Houston? (a story)

Houston. American tennis player Jenson Brooksby had a suspended activity by March 2024, but he returned to the courts this year in January.

After unsuccessful challengers and ATP tournaments, the ATP home tournament in Houston was quite sensational, which brought him from 507.

Video: The Match of the Jenson Brooksby – Frances Tiafoe (Final)

Since birth is different

He was born to the Glen family and the Brooksby family. As his father raced recreationally, their son was named after Formula 1 pilot Jenson Button.

He was diagnosed with autism in his childhood and could not talk properly within four years.

He found his way to tennis while waiting for his parents who took him to school. He took a tennis ball and reflected it from the garage.

Success already among the juniors

At the age of 17, Brooksby participated in the tennis junior championships under the auspices of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

He entered the tournament as a quadruple and without major problems he got to the finals. In it he called on the third deployed Brandon Nakashi.

He overcame him in three sets and this victory secured him a wild card in the main competition for the US Open. Unfortunately, in the first round, he was not enough for Australian John Millman.

Thanks to his previous victory, however, it was noticed by the University Baylor, with whom he signed a contract and after a year he showed up again at the US Open, but in the second round he ended up on the rocket of Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Then he had to skip all season 2020 for injury and decided to move from university tennis to professional.

Shift in the ranking

At the beginning of 2021, Brooksby won four final participation in challengers, three of which turned into a title (Potchefstroom, Orlando, Tallahasee).

In June 2021 he made his debut in the top 150 and a month later he got to the ATP 250 final in Newport, where he was not enough for South African Kevin Anderson.

This was followed by other successful starts that brought him a wild card to the US Open. He came to the Grand Slam until the 4th round, which he did for the first time.

The year 2021 was to finish at the tournament Next Generation ATP Finals, but he couldn’t participate in the injury.

The following year was again successful for Brooksby, as he got to 45 in February 2022 and for the first time in his career he got to 4 ATP Masters 1000.

He also repeated this success in thousands in Miami and after the 3th round for Italian Open in Rome reached his career maximum – 34th place.

A month later, he improved this maximum when he got to the 3rd round of Wimbledon. After the grassy Grand Slam, he ranked 33.

Surgery and suspension

In 2023 he made his debut at the Australian Open. A native of Sacramenta got into the 3rd round when he eliminated the second deployed and world three Casper Ruud from Norway. But then he was overcome by compatriot Tommy Paul.

Two months later, he had to undergo a wrist surgery that eliminated him for almost 12 weeks.

In July, Brooksby suspended the activities of ITIA for violation of anti -doping rules as it missed three doping tests for 12 months.

He accepted his temporary ban, but refused any doping. Three months later, it was announced that it was suspended for 18 months.

This time was finally shortened to 13 months, with the suspension ending in March 2024.

Return to the courts

Brooksby returned to the tennis to the Australian Open 2025, where he got thanks to the protected ranking. In the 1st round, however, he was not enough for a four -day tournament – compatriot Taylor Fritz.

Since then he has been showing up at two challengers and three ATP tournaments.

Subsequently, thanks to the free card, he got into the ATP tournament in Houston.

Mečbalu faced already in qualifying

In the opening round of the qualification, Brooksby had to avert the sword against the Argentinian Federic Agustin Gomez. The next round has already managed without major problems, so he won the main competition.

In it, a 24-year-old American was guarded by the opening duel with AV 2. The round hit the deployed three, Čiľana Alejandra Tabila, with whom he played a three-set duel.

In the last set Brooksby could end the match, but it did not happen. He faced three swords of the opponent in the mystery, which he managed to avert and advanced to the quarterfinals after a successful turn.

He also sweated against compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic. In the decisive set, his two -year -old rival went to the lead 4: 3.

Brooksby, however, equalized in the next game and finally got to the semifinals. The match lasted almost two and a half hours.

In the semifinals he measured his strength with the tournament unit Tommy Paul and again on the Houston clay, a drama took place, in which the native of Sacrament was again the only ball from the elimination.

VIDEO: Match the match Jenson Brooksby – Tommy Paul (semifinals)

« I think no matter what happens tomorrow, it’s a huge positive for me this week. Huge, » he said after the winning semifinal.

« I am proud of the work I put into it, even last year, and how I responded every week, whether it was a worse or a better week. I look forward to tomorrow, » he said before the final.

To the title to the qualification

In the final he met again with the deployed player – this time two – compatriot Frances Tiafoem.

Although he dropped the lead 4: 0 in the first set in the first set and in the ninth game faced Brejkbal, but then he dominated the court.

After sets 6: 4, 6: 2, he came to his premiere title, which he needed the fourth final attempt.

« At first I want to congratulate Frances. He has played the final for the third year in a row, which is unreal.

This victory has become the third ranking lowest built champion on the ATP circuit since 1990 and eliminated the tournament all the three highest seeded tennis players.

The tournament in Houston also brought another unusual interesting thing. All quarterfinalists were Americans. It happened for the first time since 1991, when American tennis players succeeded.

The author writes for the portal tbtennis.cz