Carmichael tennis star Jenson Brooksby withdraws from Australian Open amid omicron wave
Rising tennis star and Sacramento native Jenson Brooksby has withdrawn from the upcoming Australian Open after testing positive for COVID-19, he announced Sunday on an Instagram story.
“Unfortunately I have had to withdraw from the @australianopen,” Brooksby wrote. “I was scheduled to fly out (Monday) but my coach and i tested positive for Covid this morning. ... It isn’t easy to miss a slam; there are many out there who have suffered worse so I can’t complain! I look forward to making my Aussie Open debut next year!”
Brooksby, 21, was recently voted Newcomer of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards. He’s the third American player to win the award since 2000, joining Andy Roddick and Taylor Fritz. He rose from outside the top 300 on the world rankings to No. 56 during his first season on the ATP Tour. He’s the youngest of 12 Americans ranked in the top 100.
Brooksby trains with renowned coach Joe Gilbert, who runs the JMG Tennis Academy in the Arden Arcade area of Sacramento. Brooksby was looking to build off the momentum of last season, which was highlighted by a fourth-round match in the US Open against top seeded Novak Djokovic, who defeated Brooksby in four sets after Brooksby won the first.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of him in the future,” Djokovic said after that match Sept. 6. “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.”
This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 9:37 AM.
