Jenson Brooksby breaks mental health taboo, makes honest admission about living with autism

Jenson Brooksby recently opened up about living his life with autism during a candid discussion. The American, who was on the rise about two years ago, was handed an 18-month suspension that derailed his progress.

During an interview with AP News, Brooksby, who was present at the U.S Tennis Association National Campus, opened up about the struggles he has faced in his young life growing up with autism.

“It’s ... just something I don’t want to have to keep to myself,” the 24-year-old said.

Revealing that he had been nonverbal till the age of 4, Brooksby added that he just wanted to get his feelings off his chest and share it with everyone.

“It’s obviously a personal topic that, even with people you may feel very comfortable with — in my mind, at least for a long time — it wasn’t (something) to just go blurting out as part of a conversation, you know? But I’ve always thought about it and ... I, eventually, just wanted to talk about it.”

He said that 40 hours of his week would be spent with the therapist:

“To be able even just to start talking ... (and) then to get better at communication and social situations.”

Jenson Brooksby said that his goal in laying bare his feelings was to make people understand another side of him.

“I just want people to know me for who I am fully, and that’s just another part of me,” Brooksby said. “I’ve had a lot of time out of playing and a lot of thinking I’ve had to do,” Jenson Brooksby said.

In October 2023, Brooksby was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for missing three drug tests. However, after some new information relating to the circumstances from the American's appeal was investigated by the ITIA, they shortened the American's suspension making him eligible to return in March of 2024.

---

“It was clear he needed intensive intervention” - Jenson Brooksby's behavior analyst added her input in the American's appeal

Jenson Brooksby - Source: Getty

A two-year-and nine-month-old Jenson Brooksby was brought to Michelle Wagner, a board-certified behavior analyst, for some expert help with his autism condition. Wagner had an immense impact on the American and stated that Brooksby was on the ' very mild end of the spectrum'.

“It was clear he needed intensive intervention. He presented with some severe behavioral challenges and he was ... behind his peer age group,” she said via AP News.

Wagner revealed that she explained how autism affected Brooksby's decision-making which led to a 'lack of executive functioning', which means he had difficulty understanding:

“If I do this, that might be the outcome; if I don’t do this, then (certain other things) might happen.”

Jensen Brooksby has plans to return to a Challenger-level event in Canberra, ahead of the 2025 Australian Open. It was at the Melbourne Major in 2023 that he claimed the biggest win of his career when he knocked Casper Ruud out.

Ruud had shown his support towards Brooksby after the American was handed his suspension.