Fighter Brooksby On Hard Work & Big 3 Education

When you play Jenson Brooksby, you know you will be in for a battle.

Since the American broke onto the Tour last July, fans have become accustomed to watching him chase down every shot and fight for every point, with hard work and commitment the foundations of his all-around game.

Next week, the 21-year-old competes on home soil at the US Open, where he is No. 43 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Just 18 months ago he was outside the Top 300, signifying the nature of his rapid rise.

“I think it has exceeded expectations a little bit in how fast I went up,” Brooksby told ATPTour.com when reflecting on the past year. “Not really in the level that I have got to because it is something I have believed I can get to from a young age, but just how fast I reached that level.

“It is really important to stay present and treat the whole process of how I got here the same and continue to build. I don’t want to get complacent with what I have done, with everyone being happy. You have to have your own standards with your team and yourself to push on again.”

Brooksby’s game has lit up courts over recent months as he combines his two-handed backhand slice with flat hitting and deft drop shots to outmanoeuvre opponents, often leaving them in a spin.

The American revealed that his funky playing style has come as a consequence of his hard work, with Brooksby and his team looking to play to his strengths as he seeks further improvement during the North American hard-court swing.

“The fitness and the cardio is something we have been working on a lot. It is something that some other guys still have better than me. But I think I have caught up a lot,” Brooksby said. “It is important for my playing style to be able to do that over the course of tournaments. If you want to go deep and compete for the biggest titles each week it is something I have to get a lot better at. I am glad I am aware of that.

“I try and play a physical game style and I think the strategies we come up with when we face opponents bring that aspect out as a result of the strategy. It is something I didn’t have naturally when I was younger. It is something I have worked on a lot. I feel I have a somewhat clear picture on court that because of how we train. We always have a clear game plan, which helps me see the court really well.”

Aged 21, Brooksby grew up watching Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominate the Tour. The World No. 37 revealed that although he admired them when he was younger, he never understood their dedication levels until he broke through himself.

Now, Brooksby is eager to learn from them, with the standards Djokovic, Federer and Nadal set driving him on.

“When I was young, it was the Top 3 guys I liked to watch: Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand what it took to be that good consistent over the course of those years as I do now, though. I really appreciate that work ethic now,” Brooksby admitted.

“I respect it even more with how consistently they do what they do to get where they are at. And they have done it for over a decade and I am trying to learn from them. My team and I are really big in doing what we believe in, but my coach watches them and sees what he thinks they do best and I can learn from that.”

Last September, Brooksby gained the opportunity to have a crack against Djokovic after he surged into the spotlight by reaching the fourth round at the US Open.

The 21-year-old clinched the opening set 6-1, before he eventually faded and lost in four. It is a match that will live long in his memory and has motivated him as he aims to compete on the sport’s biggest stages for years to come.

“Playing Djokovic was an amazing experience. It was a high level of tennis for a good amount of the match,” Brooksby recalled. “I had played three physical matches before that and then had a fourth one against him too.

“I just saw how tough it is physically to produce that kind of tennis and he is amazing at. That comes from all the discipline of how hard you train and eating correctly and pushing yourself and moments like that are when those results will show.”

The American defeated Mikael Ymer and countryman Taylor Fritz at Flushing Meadows, before he rallied to edge Aslan Karatsev in five sets. For Brooksby, it was a run that helped him connect with his home supporters, leaving him excited to play at the hard-court Grand Slam again this year.

“It really does give you a big push from the crowd. It gives you a lot of energy and has even made the difference for me in a couple of matches, like at the [US] Open. “It lifts you and even if it doesn’t it is great to have. It gives you more motivation.”

With 13 Americans currently inside the Top 100, tennis in the United States is in a good place. Countryman Reilly Opelka, currently No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, knows better than anyone what it is like to have success on home soil, having won all four of his ATP Tour titles in the United States.

The 24-year-old has been impressed with what he has seen from Brooksby.

“Jenson is such a great competitor and has a great skillset,” said Opelka, who holds a 1-1 ATP Head2Head series record against Brooksby. “He can do lots on the court and works hard. I am a big fan of Jenson.”

Having advanced to tour-level finals in Dallas and Atlanta this season, expectations will be higher for Brooksby when he competes at the US Open. However, the American won’t let the pressure faze him as he looks to break new heights throughout the rest of the season.

“You always try and take the pressure in your stride. There is a little bit more expectation. It is expected. On the good side, opponents know what they are in for more and they know what I can bring to the table,” Brooksby said.

“I want to keep finding the enjoyment and the physicality to enjoy competing every day. That is what I pride myself on and it can be hard on some training days to go off track from that. In terms of results, I know I am close to the top. The Top 32 would be great to be seeded at Slam and tournaments. I also want my first title soon.”