TOP TENNIS RECRUIT HAS BIG GOALS

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Less than five months ago, Jenson Brooksby was the toast of New York, an American teenager beating former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych in the first round at the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadow.
            Now, the nation's No. 1 recruit is a first-semester freshman at Baylor and part of a fifth-ranked men's tennis team that could contend for the program's second national championship and first since 2004. Brooksby was 3 years old when the Bears last hoisted the national championship trophy.
            That's the 19-year-old's mindset coming into a program that won the Big 12 Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in Brian Boland's first season.
            "These guys are a great group of guys," Brooksby said. "I followed them last year, when they made it to the quarterfinals. I'm not putting the pressure on that we have to win it all. But for me personally, anything but a national championship would be a disappointment."
            That was also his approach when he played the 33-year-old Berdych in the opening round of the main draw at the U.S. Open and took down the former top-10 player in the world, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. That was after getting through three rounds of qualifying, including a straight-set win over Japan's Yuichi Sugita, who is now ranked in the top 100.
            "He's had a great, great career, but he's not the same player he once was," Brooksby said. "I was only focused on myself. I knew I could win the match, and I didn't really care about what other people believed or thought would happen. I just focused on my own game and doing everything I could to prepare to win it."
            Brooksby signed with Baylor in December 2018, but said his initial intent was to see how he progressed in the tournaments following the U.S. Open and possibly forego college to turn pro. But, that changed when he suffered an arm injury in a second-round loss to 18^th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili.
            "I didn't really have a preference either way," he said. "I was just wanting to see how I did after the U.S. Open in tournaments and then make my decision. But, since I wasn't able to play, I just decided to go to college."
            Even knowing that a deeper run in the U.S. Open might have changed his mind, Baylor coach Brian Boland said "it's hard not to root for a young man like that."
            "As I was there, people would ask me. But in the end, you don't have control over a situation like that," Boland said. "You're just supportive and allow the process to work itself out. I was so impressed with how mature Jenson has been through the process and being able to elimination distractions and focus on what was really important for him, to become his best and to look at the opportunities that were available to him. And to make a decision that he believed would ultimately allow him to develop and maximize himself."
            With a current ranking of 273 on the ATP Tour, it's clear that Brooksby has what it takes to make it at that level. But, he also has some objectives for college tennis, however long he's here.
            "I believe we can help him in every aspect of his development," Boland said. "He's already spent a lot of time with our staff working on what he needs to do to get stronger physically and take care of some areas that are only going to help him become a more stable athlete. I know he's committed to all areas of development, and we have the resources and expertise on our staff . . . to really provide him the opportunity to attend to the details he needs to prepare himself to play at the next level."
            Just getting Brooksby to come to college is similar to a high school baseball prospect turning down a multi-million-dollar contract or a projected first-round basketball player opting to stay in school rather than turn pro after his freshman season.

            "Having Jenson Brooksby is a testament to Baylor Athletics and where we are as a program and what is possible," Boland said. "And I know he believes in what we can do together to be successful, not only for him as an individual but for as a team as well. He's looking forward to being part of a team."
            Since winning the USTA Boys' under-18 national championship in 2018 and three ITF tournament titles, Brooksby has had to deal with the intense hype and expectations that come with it.
            "I'm glad to have the hype," he said. "It means I've earned it and I've worked hard so far to get where I am. I don't really listen to what other people say. I just focus on myself and keep trying to get better and win every match I play."
            Boland says he's never seen anyone not only handle but embrace the pressure the way Brooksby has.
            "I'm amazed how mature he is from a mental standpoint," Boland said. "His ability to manage distractions and deal with expectations and keep everything in perspective, he's one of the best I've ever been around. He's a really special young man, incredibly humble, stays focused, doesn't allow things to bother him like a think a lot of young people do. That's a huge advantage for him."
            Brooksby is listed as day-to-day while recovering from a turf toe injury, but he has "complete trust and faith in the process," Boland said. There is no timeline, "other than making sure we put healthy student-athletes in competition and on the court."
            The Big 12 preseason favorite over defending national champion Texas, Baylor opens the spring dual-match season with a doubleheader on Saturday, facing Boise State at 2 p.m. and UT-Arlington at 6 p.m. at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.

TOP TENNIS RECRUIT HAS BIG GOALS

Players Mentioned

Jenson Brooksby

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