Bill Simons
Hope – there’s nothing like it. And that’s just what the young 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby is giving us. His 6’4” size, lightning speed, court sense, appealing imagination and winning ways had summer commentators gushing.
As Sacramento’s broad-chested rookie dismissed one dazed ATP star after another, almost as if they were chumps, The Tennis Channel gushed: “The kid can do no wrong…He doesn’t miss…What a moment of magic from Brooksby! The crowd is loving it. You’ve got to give it up for this kid. He thinks he can beat anybody.” Jimmy Arias added, “If Brooksby developed a serve, Djokovic would be quaking in his boots.”
That’s a stretch. Then again, hunger bends perception, and American men’s tennis has long been starving. Our Grand Slam cupboard has been bare since 2003, and it’s been about three decades – when Brad Gilbert was cooking in the ATP kitchen – since a Northern Californian has consistently vied for titles.
Now a sensational blond dream-maker with a sheepish smile and a considerable grunt has broken through in a welcome flash.
The quiet, charming protege of another Gilbert – Carmichael coach Joseph Gilbert – has lit up tennis. Earlier this year, Floridian Seb Korda was our anointed “saveur du jour.” Now it just might be Brooksby’s turn.
Never mind that Jenson battled a toe injury for two years, that he started 2021 buried in the pack at No. 307 and that he’d barely played on the main tour. His resume was still a work in progress – the Easter Bowl crown, a 2019 US Open win over former No. 4 Tomas Berdych and three dandy Challenger titles this year on clay and hard courts.
Drawing from a deep well of confidence, Brooksby dazzled fans as he made back-to-back runs to the Hall of Fame Open final on grass and to the semis of DC’s Citi Open on hard courts. His jaw-dropping wins left baffled foes in the dust wondering what had hit them. He dismissed considerable vets Dennis Kudla and Aussies Jordan Thompson and Federer-conqueror John Millman. He brought 6’ 8″ two-time Slam finalist Kevin Anderson to his knees, and reduced Frances Tiafoe’s bright flash to a mere flicker. As he dismissed Felix Auger-Aliassime, The Tennis Channel noted, “The Canadian is going from, ‘How can I beat this guy?’ to ‘How can I get a point from this guy?’”
Jenson’s strokes weren’t created by central casting. His sometimes 76-mph serve doesn’t bring Isner to mind. His forehand isn’t Rafa-esque. But Brooksby reminds us, “My game is not about weapons and weaknesses, it’s about competing.” He moves like a lion, he has uncanny anticipation and “insane retrieving capabilities.” His ball-striking is clean and imaginative; he hits stab winners, digs balls out of the corners and rallies with maddening resilience. His patience is a weapon. He confounds foes with an array of slices and spins, and his well-disguised double-fisted dropshots and volleys annoy. His down-the-line backhands are nasty. He adjusts, his vision is clear, he makes his foes squirm. He probably got an A in “Intro to Court Management 101.” Arias commented, “He causes you to play less well. He’s human kryptonite.”
At first glance, you might think this Californian is a surfer. But actually he’s one focused fighter who engages the crowd and embraces the big stage. As things ratcheted up in DC, one announcer noted, “He loves the battle. You can see the compete-o-meter starting to redline.”
Brad Gilbert says he plays like Andy Murray. “He defends unbelievably, and he’s unbelievably fast for 6’4”.” Murray himself admired Jenson’s backhand slice and volley. “He’s the sort of player I like to watch. Lots of variety, high tennis IQ, great in defense.”
Brooksby’s interesting. He plays the piano. His friends call him “JT.” He’s named for British Formula One driver Jenson Button. And, now that Brooksby’s buttoned up his game, he’s racing up the rankings and has broken into the top 100. His game is refreshingly different: gritty, imaginative and great fun to watch. Plus he can still sharpen up many of his tools. And, most important, he has a strange, very handy habit: he wins.
Yes, he eventually lost to Anderson in Newport and to the Italian teen Jannik Sinner in DC. Still, Hall of Fame chief Todd Martin told Jenson, “You’ve demonstrated that winning matches helps to win matches.You have the head and heart of a champion, with a game to match…You won the fans over.” Arias went further, contending, “Players who do what he does end up being No. 1.”
