Jenson Brooksby has accepted the provisional suspension handed down from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the American tennis player confirmed to The Associated Press.
The 22-year-old California native was accused of missing three doping tests over a 12-month span.
“Taking the provisional suspension is the best decision that we have to make right now,” he said over the phone. However, Brooksby also proclaimed that he was not using banned sustenances. “I’ve never failed a drug test. I’ve never taken any bad substances.”
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Jenson Brooksby plays a backhand during the third round singles match against Tommy Paul of the United States during day six of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 21, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
He plans to go to arbitration with the ITIA, which oversees doping cases in tennis. According to anti-doping rules, athletes can be subjected to penalty without a positive test if they have three “whereabouts failures” within a 12-month period.
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“‘Whereabouts’ is a pretty tough requirement for them, with how much they’re traveling,” said Howard Jacobs, a lawyer working with Brooksby. “There’s no allegations he took any banned substances and we’re confident about” the case’s outcome.
Jacobs also represents Simona Halep, who failed a drug test at the 2022 U.S. Open. Halep has previously denied knowingly taking any banned substances. She has been suspended since October and faced a second doping accusation in May.
The Romanian has been ranked No. 1 in the world for a total of 64 weeks in her career. She won the French Open in 2018, and she won the second Grand Slam of her career in 2019 at the Wimbledon Championships.
Jenson Brooksby celebrates after defeating Casper Ruud of Norway in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Brooksby last played in January at the Australian Open. He upset three-time Grand Slam runner-up Casper Ruud in the second round before losing in the third round.
Shortly after that tournament, Brooksby split from his longtime coach, Joseph Gilbert.
“Since Australia, it’s, for sure, been the toughest part of my life, having to deal with so many different issues. The wrists were a struggle. Then at the same time, leaving my coach who I had been with since I was 7 years old. But professionally and personally, that was the right thing to do,” he said.
“And there is also the doping thing, all within this period. Personal issues, too. I’m really just looking forward to being back on the court and the tour and putting all of it behind me.”
Jenson Brooksby hits a return to Denis Shapovalov at the Korea Open tennis tournament in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2022. Brooksby told The Associated Press he has accepted a provisional suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency after being accused of missing three doping tests in a 12-month period. Brooksby plans to go to arbitration. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
In a press release sent, Brooksby wrote via his advisor Amrit Narasimhan, the tennis star denies any wrongdoing.
“The provisional suspension is not an admission that I have done anything wrong; to the contrary, I have denied this charge and am waiting for an arbitration with an independent tribunal. The protocols of the anti-doping program are in place to protect the integrity of our sport, and I respect and support these protocols,” the statement read.
Brooksby said that the situation was “frustrating,” but noted that he is “looking forward to giving them all of the evidence.”
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According to Narasimhan, Brooksby received a letter from the ITIA notifying him of a potential rule violation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
