10 Things You Didn’t Know about Jenson Brooksby
The world of tennis is competitive and exciting, with top players coming from across the globe. In the recent past, the professional side of men’s tennis has been dominated by three incredible players for approximately two decades – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. But it appears that a new crop of talent is rising through the ranks. Among them is a young American player, Jenson Brooksby. Here are ten interesting things about this hot, young tennis talent.
1. Jenson’s unusual first name is due to his father’s love of Formula One racing.
As Brooksby notes, his first name was supposed to be Tyler. His parents switched Tyler to his middle name, which ultimately led to the logical nickname of “JT.”
Brooksby’s dad, who is of English ancestry, was a big fan of Formula One race car driving. Specifically, Brooksby’s dad followed the professional British driver, Jenson Button – who won the 2009 Formula One World Championship race. Both of his parents liked the name Jenson, so their original name choice -Tyler, moved to second place.
Jenson Brooksby was born in 2000 in the California capital of Sacramento. His parents are Glen and Tania Brooksby. Jenson turns 22 at the end of October 2022 and lives in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, California.
3. Jenson Brooksby is a serious pianist who loves playing classical music.
When not on tour, Jenson loves playing the piano, mainly classical pieces like Bach’s Sonata No. 3. And while it has become increasingly challenging to play after turning professional, Jenson does play on an electric piano to relax when home and not practicing/playing. Jenson even admits to still taking piano lessons when time permits.
4. Jenson Brooksby is a straight-A student and fitness enthusiast.
Jenson Brooksby’s college application to Baylor University included straight-A’s. And while he initially committed to play tennis for Baylor University, he was redshirted, and ultimately an injury sidelined him and gave him a reason to turn pro. When not earning straight A’s, Jenson can be found working on his fitness and tennis game, often for up to four hours per day.
5. Brooksby loves to watch Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his mental and physical strength.
Although a huge admirer of many tennis greats, Jenson notes that his favorite player to watch is Rafael Nadal. To Jenson, Nadal epitomizes mental toughness and consistency – giving it his all, every point. It is Nadal’s ability to show up and meet the moment that Jenson admires most, and the inspiration Jenson uses when he needs to improve his own game.
6. When Jenson Brooksby won the 2018 USTA Boys (for those 18 or younger), the win earned Brooksby a wild-card spot into the main draw of the US Open in Flushing, New York.
On August 12, 2018, at the age of 17, Jenson Brooksby defeated Brandon Nakashima to win the US Tennis Association’s national championship for those players under 18 years of age. Since turning professional, Jenson Brooksby has a Win-Lose record of 27 – 20 or a 57% win rate. Most of Brooksby’s wins (22 of 27) have been on hard court, where he has only lost 12 times.
In his first US Open, Jenson lost in the first round to John Millman. Millman went on to become a quarterfinalist in that year’s US Open tournament.
7. Jenson Brooksby’s style of play is described as that of a defensive baseliner.
Jenson Brooksby specializes in winning rallies that are primarily set at the court’s baseline with grittiness and relentless competitiveness. His play, which is right-handed (with a two-handed backhand), is considered unique in that he often counterpunches using what some describe as unorthodox yet effective mechanics. His unusual style and movement consist of short ground strokes, which allows him to disguise the shot on either side of the court.
Jenson has the skill to use movement and redirection to his advantage and his opponent’s disadvantage. His serve, with its low-ball toss, in spite of his 6’ 4” stature, could use improving, but his ability to out rally opponents and grind them down is becoming the stuff of legends.
8. In 2022, Jenson Brooksby defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas – his first top-five opponent.
At the 2022 BNP Paribas Open, which is played in Indian Wells, California, Brooksby reached the fourth round of a “Masters 1000” tournament for the first time in his professional career. This momentous occasion required Jenson to defeat then World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, a tennis player from Greece. This 2022 Indian Wells win, which was a backyard tournament for Brooksby, was the first time Jenson beat a top 10 ranked tennis player.
9. Jenson Brooksby reached a career singles high ranking (33 in the world) in June 2022.
Brooksby has already made a significant market on the ATP tour in 2022, despite only being 21. He reached a career-high of 33 in June & July 2022. In October 2022, Brooksby was ranked number 42 in the ATP Tour Rankings.
In gaining this ranking momentum in 2022, Jenson beat David Goffin (in Rome), John Isner (in Atlanta), and Karen Khachanov & Stefano Tsitsipas (in Indian Wells). He lost to British tennis player Cameron Norrie in straight sets when bowing out of Indian Wells.
In 2021, Brooksby beat Kevin Anderson and Feliz Auger-Aliassime (in Washington, DC) and ultimately lost to Dennis Shapovalov in straight sets after losing a tough first-set tie-break. In 2019, Jenson Brooksby beat (former World #4) Tomas Berdych at the US Open tournament in four sets, winning the last two to secure the win.
10. Brooksby grooves to classic rap (like Eminem) or EDM when gearing up on the morning of match days.
When it is game day and time to get ready and pumped for a match, Jenson Brooksby listens to classic rap music or Electronic Dance Music (EDM). Depending on his mood and his opponent, Jenson may have Eminem blaring through his earbuds or headphones.
You can also read:
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Petra Kvitova
- The 10 Best Russian Tennis Players of All-Time
- The 10 Best Serbian Tennis Players of All-Time
- The 10 Best Austrian Tennis Players of All-Time
- The 10 Best American Female Tennis Players of All-Time
