By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 24, 2023
Jenson Brooksby has been handed an 18-month suspension due to whereabouts violations, but he plans to appeal.
Photo Source: AP
Jenson Brooksby has received an 18-month suspension and will not be eligible to return to the ATP Tour until 2025.
The American is being punished for committing three whereabouts failures (missed tests) in a 12-month period.
The 22-year-old former World No.33 has not played since the 2023 Australian Open, and has undergone left wrist (March of 2023) and right wrist surgery (May of 2023) since.
Brooksby claims that he should be exonerated based on details from one of the three missed tests, but the ITIA believes the American is at a high degree of fault.
“Having considered the evidence, the tribunal found that Brooksby’s degree of fault for the missed test was high,” the ITIA said in a statement. “The tribunal found that the DCO “took all reasonable steps to locate the player” in the disputed test and the player was negligent by not making themself available for testing during the identified time slot.”
Brooksby said he was “very disappointed” with the decision and explained his rationale in a detailed Instagram post. He also said he plans to appeal the decision.
“I am very disappointed to learn that I have been suspended for 18 months, for having missed three tests,” Brooksby said. “I have never taken a banned substance in my life, and I was open and honest with the ITIA throughout my case. I understand that it is my responsibility and will learn and grow. I accepted that two of my missed tests were my fault, but I continue to maintain that my June 4, 2022 missed test should be set aside.
“On that date, I was in my hotel room for the entirety of my one-hour testing window. The hotel room had been booked for the first part of my stay in the name of my physio (who was staying with me), because the ATP did not provide me with a room until June 4. Starting on June 4, the room was in my name, but I had asked that my name be added to the room days before that, and had even given my passport to the hotel front desk when I needed a new key – if my name was not on the room when I showed my passport before June 4, then I’m not sure why the hotel gave me a key. For some reason, on the morning of June 4, the hotel told the doping control officer that I had not yet checked in but they did show him their computer screen which already had my room number listed on it.
“Even having that information, the Doping Control Office never asked the hotel to call my room, so I did not know that the Doping Control Officer was there to test me – no call was made to my hotel room for the entire hour, and the Doping Control Officer only called my cell phone (which was on silent) in the last four minutes of the testing window (at 6:56 AM). Had the Doping Control Officer called my hotel room even once, I would have for sure been tested, because I was awake and had nothing to hide.
“I intend to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. I have been fighting injuries for almost a year, and my return to the sport that I love will unfortunately be delayed a little longer. But I will be back, and I hope it will be soon.”
If the appeal is not granted, Brooksby’s sanction will be backdated to 5 July 2023 and end on 4 January 2025.