The Inside Story of Jenson Brooksby’s Comeback: From Unranked and Unable to Hold a Phone to Glory | ATP Tour

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The inside story of Brooksby’s comeback: from no ranking, unable to hold a phone to glory

American Airlines discusses recovery after two wrist surgeries

December 22, 2025

In 2023, Jenson Brooksby couldn’t hold her phone for several months. His wrists were immobilized and each wore a cast for eight weeks, the result of two surgeries two months apart.

Two years after surgery, this past April, Brooksby won his first ATP Tour title in poetic fashion, saving match points in three games to capture the Houston Trophy. Those tough games showed his dedication in his comeback… and that was just one chapter.

After starting the season unranked, the 25-year-old has climbed to No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings, not far from the career-high No. 33 he reached in 2022.

“I haven’t seen anyone need surgery on both wrists and be 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 hard work I put in and the confidence I had at my lowest times or my highest times, like now. I still think I can beat anything I’ve done in the past.”

Brooksby faces serious physical challenges behind his two-year comeback. The tendons in his right wrist were 70 to 80 percent dislocated, while the tendons in his left wrist were completely dislocated. Brooksby underwent surgery on his left wrist in March 2023 and on his right wrist in May 2023. Brooksby spent the entire 2022 season with his wrist bandaged in an attempt to avoid a second surgery through rest and rehab, but the discomfort proved insurmountable.

Both surgeries were performed by California-based Dr. Steven Shin, who has performed surgeries on many sports icons.

^{Jenson Brooksby, May 2023. Photo credit: Jenson Brooksby}

Brooksby’s road back to health was a difficult one, testing not only his body but his mental fortitude. He was not able to complete a practice session until 20 months after the surgery.

“I think the wrist just got used to the impact factor of tennis, just with the K-wires [Kirschner wires] on my wrist, [the pain] “It was really, really high,” Brooksby said, “and it took months and months. Sometimes it felt like it was never going to happen, but then you’re just patient like with anything else, and eventually like the rest of the body, it gets used to a certain tolerance or physicality.

“I wore a different type of cast for eight weeks each time. For those eight weeks on each wrist, 16 weeks in total, I couldn’t do anything at all. Not even hold my phone or anything. I had to have a certain mental patience. You can’t even use your body, let alone simple things. I was a little crazy.”

The Sacramento native remains one of the toughest opponents on tour, possessing rock-solid consistency and sharp court intelligence that can outwit any opponent. His all-court intelligence was on full display at the ATP 250 tournament in Houston, where he started the week as a qualifying wild card and ranked No. 507 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He walked away with the trophy as the third lowest-ranked winner in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

Brooksby also reached the Eastbourne final and the semi-finals in Tokyo, further showing that he is a serious contender once again. Already in the top 100 and on the verge of returning to the top 50, Brooksby has found ways to improve his game during his absence.

“I think the biggest reason why I not only want to come back but believe I can do better is because I know I have some areas where I’m weaker and I know I can do better,” Brooksby said. “I think I’m pretty good from the baseline, but I know if I can serve better than I have before, play more consistent offensive tennis and add more variety, I think I can break down the top level of tennis.

“I think the biggest thing is I’m looking for more efficient ways to get into the offensive zone of the court and finish and not just stay at the baseline.”

When looking back on his journey, Brooksby is quick to attribute it to the countless hours of hard work he put into the game and the unwavering support of his team. Even in the face of adversity, he learned valuable lessons.

“I think it teaches us a lot of patience in life,” said Brooksby, who publicly revealed in December 2024 that he had autism spectrum disorder. “Achieving your goals requires a lot of patience and consistency, and accepting that you’re going to be strong in some areas and weak in others, and you just have to work hard with what you have.”