Inside Jenson Brooksby’s comeback: From undrafted & can’t hold the phone to glory | ATP Tour

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Inside Brooksby’s comeback: From unranked and unable to pick up the phone to glory

American shares journey back from two wrist surgeries

December 22, 2025

Jenson Brooksby couldn’t hold his phone for several months in 2023. His wrists were immobilized, each in a cast for eight weeks, after two operations two months apart.

It was only fitting that this April, two years after the surgery, Brooksby claimed his first ATP Tour title in poetic fashion, saving a match point in three matches en route to the Houston trophy. Those hard-fought games were a sign of his dedication when he came back… and it was just one chapter.

After starting the season unseeded, the 25-year-old has risen to No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings, not far from his career high of No. 33, which he will reach in 2022.

“I’ve never seen anyone who’s needed surgery on both wrists and been able to do that, so I’m very proud of myself,” Brooksby told ATPTour.com in October. “I think it’s a testament to the work I’ve done and the confidence I’ve had at the low or high times right now.

The physical challenges after Brooksby’s two-year return were difficult. The muscle in his right wrist was between 70 and 80 percent gone, while the muscle in his left hand was completely gone. Brooksby had surgery on his left wrist in March 2023 and surgery on his right wrist in May 2023. Brooksby, who competed with heavily taped wrists throughout the 2022 season, tried to avoid a second surgery by resting and rehabbing, but the discomfort proved impossible to overcome.

Both of these surgeries were done by Dr. California-based Steven Shin, who has operated many sports icons.

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^{Jenson Brooksby in May 2023. Credit: Jenson Brooksby}

Brooksby’s road back to full health was difficult, testing not only his body, but also his mental toughness. It wasn’t until 20 months after the surgery that he was able to finish a practice game.

“I think having a wrist is just getting used to the shock of tennis, having k strings [Kirschner wires] in my hand, [the pain] it was really high,” Brooksby said. “It took months. Sometimes it felt like it wouldn’t happen, but then you just keep putting up with it like you would with anything else and eventually like the rest of the body, you get used to a certain tolerance or body.

“I was in different casts for eight weeks each. For those eight weeks on each wrist, so 16 weeks in total, I couldn’t do anything at all. I couldn’t even pick up the phone or anything. I had to be seriously mentally tough. You couldn’t even physically use them, let alone something simple. I was a little bit crazy.”

The Sacramento native remains one of the toughest opponents on Tour, boasting brick-wall consistency and a sharp court wit to defeat any opponent. His all-court prowess was on full display during his title run at the ATP 250 in Houston, where he began the week as an eligible wild card at No. 507 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He left with the title, becoming only the third-ranked player in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

Brooksby also enjoyed a run to the final in Eastbourne and a semi-final showing in Tokyo, proving that he is once again a formidable competitor. Inside the Top 100 and nearing a Top 50 comeback, Brooksby has found ways to hone his game in his absence.

“I think the main reason I didn’t want to just come back, but I believe I can get better is because I knew I still had a few areas of weakness where I knew I could get better,” Brooksby said. “I think I was very good from the beginning, but I knew that if I could get my serves better than before, play offensive tennis and add variety, I think I can break the top levels of tennis.

“I think the biggest thing is that I’m looking for efficient ways to get into the offensive areas of the court and finish points rather than just sitting on top.”

When reflecting on his journey, Brooksby is quick to credit the many hours of hard work he poured into his game and the endless support of his team. Even in the midst of adversity, he has learned valuable lessons.

“I think it just taught me a lot of patience in life,” said Brooksby, who in December 2024 publicly disclosed that he was on the autism spectrum. “To be able to reach your goals requires a lot of patience and consistency and accepting that you will be good in some areas and weak in others and you just have to work with what you have.”