Pro tennis player Jenson Brooksby talks about living with autism

(19 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Orlando, Florida - 10 December 2024
1. Jenson Brooksby practices inside facility
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2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jenson Brooksby, American Professional Tennis Player:
" I mean, nothing excites me more than playing matches in those big situations and being at tournaments and in that environment and in front of fans. It's a special opportunity, I think, for anybody. I just really miss the excitement of playing and being around that atmosphere."
3. Jenson practices outside
4. Jenson wraps racquet
5. Tennis Racquet
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6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jenson Brooksby, American Professional Tennis Player:
"I want to let people know that to not be not be down if you have autism. And it's just something that can be a part of you in a part of your life and to find the positives and always, always keep working to get better and find solutions and never give up."
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7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jenson Brooksby, American Professional Tennis Player:
" I just want people to know me for who I am fully and that's just another - That's just another part of me. And, you know, I've just, I've had a lot of time out of playing and a lot of thinking I've had to do, and it's just something I've wanted to say to everybody and get to inspire people."
8. Jenson practices inside
9. Jenson does warmup exercise
10. Man wraps Jenson's wrist
11. Jenson practices inside
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12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jenson Brooksby, American Professional Tennis Player:
"I believe I'm able to really lock in a few specific details out there on court, whether it's a strategy of how to try to win the match or something in my game. And if I'm able to find a few things that are really like first correct to be able to win. But I'm able to not lose focus for a long period of time in a pressure moment, and I think that's a big strength of mine out there on the match court. And then something, something I struggle with is it's easy for me to have - to want to have outbursts at times and to just get it like a little emotional. It's a little frustrated, you know, simple, but that's something I was working on before, but especially been working on now as I'm coming back to not waste any extra energy because the matches are already physical and emotional and take the general toll anyways, so."
13. Pan to Jenson practicing outside
14. Fence
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15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jenson Brooksby, American Professional Tennis Player:
"I hope I can affect it a lot and get to inspire kids and families in those situations to just work hard and, you know, find find the best solutions for what situation you're in. You know, if you have autism. So I just wanted to use my example in my scenario of life to hopefully help a lot of others in that situation."
16. Various of jenson practicing on outdoor court
STORYLINE:
Jenson Brooksby tugged at the right shoulder of his red T-shirt and fiddled with some strands of his dirty blond hair as he spoke to The Associated Press about what he'd like the world — the tennis world, yes, but also everyone else — to know about him.


And, as Brooksby prepares to compete again in January, including at the Australian Open, he wants people — other players, yes, but also anyone else, including those who are, or know someone who is, autistic — to hear about his experience living with autism spectrum disorder, which he discussed publicly for the first time during a recent interview.




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