MELBOURNE, Australia — After a tumultuous two-year hiatus from professional tennis that included two wrist surgeries, shoulder issues, a coaching change, and a suspension for missed drug tests, Jenson Brooksby made his comeback on Tuesday at the Australian Open.
The 24-year-old from California faced a challenging match straight away, competing in a best-of-five-set format against the No. 4 seed, Taylor Fritz, who was the runner-up at the U.S. Open last year. Brooksby lost the match decisively with scores of 6-2, 6-0, and 6-3 at John Cain Arena.
“Of course, I’m a bit disappointed with the defeat, but there has been so much happening over the past couple of years… I wasn’t sure if I could actually return to the game,” Brooksby commented, reflecting on his journey from being ranked as high as No. 33 to currently having no ranking due to inactivity. “I’m just incredibly thankful to be back on the court and to have had the opportunity to play a match.”
Prior to his match at the Australian Open, Brooksby had not competed since January 2023 at Melbourne Park, where he famously upset three-time major finalist Casper Ruud in the second round before being eliminated in the following round. Shortly after that tournament, he underwent his first wrist surgery, which led to a series of events that kept him away from competition.
Brooksby noted that the response from fellow players has been overwhelmingly positive. “Every interaction has been uplifting. People have been welcoming me back with open arms and I’ve felt a lot of positive energy. Honestly, I have really missed traveling and being immersed in these competitive environments,” he shared.
Initially, Brooksby had aimed to participate in a lower-tier Challenger event in Canberra to regain his footing, but illness struck when he and his new coach, former player Rhyne Williams, both caught the flu, leading to his withdrawal from that tournament.
“It felt fantastic to be back in front of a crowd. The energy was really revitalizing,” Brooksby expressed. “There is certainly much to improve upon, but considering how long I’ve been away, it’s hard to feel disheartened.”
Fritz, who was Brooksby’s opponent, is enjoying a career-high ranking and has recently had success in major tournaments, most notably reaching the finals of the U.S. Open in September where he faced off against top-ranked player Jannik Sinner. Fritz made history by being the first American man to compete in a Grand Slam final since Andy Roddick’s loss to Roger Federer at Wimbledon back in 2009. He followed this up by reaching the title match at the ATP Finals in November, again falling short against Sinner.
“My main objective right now is to achieve significant results at important tournaments. Winning a major title is a priority for me this year,” Fritz stated. “I aim to reach another Grand Slam final and obviously, my goal is to win, but I just want to have another shot at claiming a Grand Slam.”
