Inside Brooksby's comeback: From unranked & unable to hold a phone to glory
Jenson Brooksby could not hold his phone for several months in 2023. His wrists were immobilised, each in a cast for eight weeks, the aftermath of two surgeries performed just two months apart.
It was only fitting that this April, two years after surgery, Brooksby secured his maiden ATP Tour title in poetic fashion, having saved match point in three matches en route to the Houston trophy. Those hard-fought matches were demonstrations of his dedication throughout his comeback… and it was just one chapter.
After starting this season unranked, the 25-year-old climbed as high as No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings, not far off his career-high No. 33, which he reached in 2022.
“I haven’t seen anyone who has needed surgeries on both wrists and been able to do that, so I’m very proud of myself,” Brooksby told ATPTour.com in October. “I think it’s a testament of the work I’ve put in and the self-belief I’ve had at the lowest times or at the highest times like right now. I still think I can beat what I’ve done in the past.”
The physical challenges behind Brooksby’s two-year comeback were severe. His right wrist tendon had been between 70 and 80 per cent dislocated, while his left wrist tendon was completely dislocated. Brooksby underwent left wrist surgery in March 2023 and right wrist surgery in May 2023. Brooksby, who competed with heavily taped wrists throughout the 2022 season, tried to avoid the second surgery through rest and rehabilitation, but the discomfort proved impossible to overcome.
Both surgeries were performed by California-based Dr. Steven Shin, who has operated on several sporting icons.
<img alt=”Jenson Brooksby” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2023/05/19/18/31/brooksby-may-2023-surgery.jpg” />
Jenson Brooksby in May 2023. Credit: Jenson Brooksby
Brooksby’s path back to full health was gruelling, testing not only his body, but also his mental fortitude. It was not until 20 months after surgery when he was able to finish a practice match.
“I think having the wrist just getting used to the shock factor of tennis, just with having k-wires [Kirschner wires] in my wrist, [the pain] was really, really high,” Brooksby said. “It took so many months. At times it felt like it was never going to happen, but then you just stay patient with it like you would with anything else and eventually like the rest of the body, it gets used to a certain tolerance or physicality.
“I was in different types of casts for eight weeks on each. For those eight weeks on each wrist, so 16 total weeks, I wasn’t able to do really anything at all. Not even holding the phone or anything. I had to have some serious patience mentally. You couldn’t even use yourself physically, much less a simple thing. I was going a bit crazy.”
The Sacramento native remains one of the Tour’s toughest opponents, boasting brick-wall consistency with razor-sharp court intelligence to outmanoeuvre any rival. His all-court savviness was on full display during his title run at the ATP 250 in Houston, where he began the week as a qualifying wild card at No. 507 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He left with the champion’s trophy, becoming the third-lowest-ranked titlist in ATP Tour history (since 1990).
Brooksby also enjoyed a run to the Eastbourne final and a semi-final showing in Tokyo, further illustrating that he is once again a serious contender. Well inside the Top 100 and approaching a Top 50 return, Brooksby found ways to sharpen his game during his absence.
“I think the biggest reason why I wanted to not just come back, but believed I could be better is because I knew I still had a couple weaker areas where I knew I could get better,” Brooksby said. “I think I was very good from the baseline, but I knew if I could get my serve better than it used to be, play more consistent offensive tennis and add more variety, that I think I could crack the highest levels of tennis.
“I think the biggest thing is I’m looking for more efficient ways to get in the offensive areas of the court and finish off points rather than just staying from the baseline.”
When reflecting on his journey, Brooksby is quick to credit the countless hours of hard work he has poured into his game and the unwavering support of his team. Even amid adversity, he has taken away invaluable lessons.
“I think it just taught a lot of patience in life,” said Brooksby, who in December 2024 publicly revealed he is on the autism spectrum. “To be able to reach your goals takes an extreme amount of patience and consistency and accepting that you’ll be good in some areas and weaker in others and you just have to work with what you’ve got.”
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