By Scoop Malinowski
Jenson Brooksby almost knocked out Novak Djokovic from the US Open last year and this week in Indian Wells he slayed world no. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas after losing the first set 6-1. The 21-year-old is proving very early in his pro tennis career that he has the arsenal and the mental measure to compete with and even conquer the elite pantheon of the ATP hierarchy.
Here are what some of the masters of the tennis universe are saying about the blond bomber from Sacramento, CA who is ranked 43 in the world and already has compiled a career ATP match record of 22-11…
Jim Courier: “If I could use one word to describe Jenson Brooksby’s game I would say….quirky. This young man is going places in a hurry.”
Gene Mayer: “He reminds me of gritty guys- Courier, Chang, Schwartzman. I think he can be top 20.”
Bryan Brothers On Tennis Channel (after win vs Tsitsipas): “Brooksby is our prediction to win the tournament.”
Novak Djokovic: “He’s a young, talented player that is very crafty. He’s got the really all-around game. He was pumped. He had the crowd behind him, of course. He played a perfect first set. Everything he intended to do he executed it perfectly. He absorbs the pace very well, especially from the backhand side. He reminds me of Florian Mayer had this double-handed slice, very smart player. Maybe not the greatest mover, but Mayer just managed to play on the big stage pretty well against the players who try to penetrate the ball and kind of dictate the play, stay close to the line. He loved playing with the guys like that.”
“Brooksby reminds me of him a lot. But I think he’s a better mover than Mayer. He’s young. He’s 20. He’s got plenty of time. He showed also I think mental maturity on the court. Stepped in, and considering the circumstances, his first Arthur Ashe Stadium match, against me, night session, I think he managed himself very well. He was motivated and did his best. I have to congratulate him and say that I was impressed with his game but also with his behavior.”
“Yeah, I think we’re going to see a lot of him in the future. I mean, he has the means. Now, obviously a lot of things have to come together, but he has a bit of an unorthodox game, does a lot with the feel. But he’s smart. He knows how to win points.”
“I sincerely felt what I shared with him on the net. I feel like he had a great match, it was a great fight. Tough to lose the match always, of course. But that he has impressed me as a player on the court. Also, as I mentioned, the way he fought. A bright future is ahead of him. He just needs to keep going, keep working and keep believing because he’s definitely got the game and he’s got the means. He’s probably going to answer that better, but I think tonight’s match can serve him incredibly well as an example of where his game is at at the moment. He can play equally well with the top players in the world. It’s a long way to get ranking-wise up there, but he’s definitely on a good trail. He’s going in the right direction.”
Reilly Opelka (to Inside Tennis magazine): “Brooksby is brutal. He’s going to be a ‘second week’ guy. I’d invest in Brooksby. He’s special, and could be no. 1. His mind works so differently. He’s got this game plan, he sees things so well and is so tricky. Behind the baseline he reminds me of Djokovic. He’s got great depth, is a great ball striker, a great mover, good size and intangibles. He’s got this X-factor, his mindset, that could make him a future Grand Slam champion.”
Andy Murray: Jenson Brooksby is the sort of player I love to watch…lots of variety. High tennis IQ….great in defense. His slice and backhand volley are almost identical to Florian Mayer.”
This week in Indian Wells, Brooksby has defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 61 64, 25 seed Karen Khachanov 60 63 and Tsitsipas 16 63 62. Next up in round of 16 for Brooksby will be defending champion Cameron Norrie as the featured second night match. You can check out the Uomo Sport collection at www.uomosport.com
ATP · BNP Paribas Open · Indian Wells · Jenson Brooksby · Uomo Sport
Scoop Malinowski · March 16, 2022 at 11:52 am
I chatted more with Gene Mayer, former world no. 4, and he rates the young Americans potential in this order 1 Korda 2 Brooksby 3 Nakashima. He said of the others Fritz, Opelka, Paul, Tiafoe, all have debiitating flaws but he likes Fritz the best of those four.
Harry C · March 16, 2022 at 11:54 am
Not a compliment to be compared to Florian Mayer. Weird compliment.
Scoop Malinowski · March 16, 2022 at 11:56 am
It’s only a comparison for one aspect of Brooksby’s arsenal that he uses some unorthodox shots. Or perhaps they are subconcsiously trying to reduce him to believe he’s only going to be a Florian Mayer type player which we know Brooksby believes he can be top 5 or even no. 1, he has a “I am going to be the best” aura.
Doug Day · March 16, 2022 at 2:13 pm
Harry i watched Florian defeat Rafa
Scoop Malinowski · March 16, 2022 at 2:47 pm
F Mayer had some big wins and a very solid career but only got into the top 20 range once, Brooksby is already very close to the top 20 and I’m certain he will be top ten or better.
Jimmy G · March 16, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Is Brooksby’s serve not a debilitating weakness?
Scoop Malinowski · March 16, 2022 at 5:04 pm
Jimmy G, Brooksby’s serve is not that bad though it looks unorthodox, I feel it’s underrated and pretty good and effective and it can produce some free points but it can be improved considerably.
Krzysztof · March 17, 2022 at 11:26 am
I don’t like Brooksby style, he looks quite awkward with his groundstrokes and volleying with two hands from backhand side looks terrible…. just compare him to flashy style of Blake or Fish ….
Scoop Malinowski · March 17, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Krysztof, dont look at the strokes look at the results. Brooksby will not win any awards for beauty and aestheticism for his strokes but he more than makes up for it with fighting spirit and mental toughness. You would think with his strokes he couldn’t beat anyone in the top 100 yet but he’s winning two thirds of his matches in just the beginning of his career. I remember just about a year ago Fritz was still around 500 and just in the last year he’s gotten out of being a .500 player now his career match record is 139-127. So it’s astounding that Brooksby is already 23-12. Norrie is 113-91.
Doug Day · March 19, 2022 at 10:44 am
Right Scoop Jenson’s shot selection wrings errors from his opponents like we’ve never seen. Six months ago my pro said “study this new kid he plays like a seasoned veteran”. Rare as the black swan.
Scoop Malinowski · March 19, 2022 at 4:15 pm
He expects to win too, he expected to beat Djokovic at US Open, you can’t buy that kind of confidence at tenniswarehouse.com.