John McEnroe's tantrum at Pickleball Slam catches Jenson Brooksby's eye
Jenson Brooksby has reacted to John McEnroe losing his cool while competing in the latest Pickleball Slam extravaganza.
Brooksby was last seen competing at the 2023 Australian Open, where he reached the third round. The American was forced to miss the Indian Wells and Miami Masters as he underwent surgery on his left wrist to treat a dislocated tendon.
The 22-year-old joined in on the latest Pickleball Slam craze and shared a video of former World No. 1 John McEnroe losing his temper while competing. Brooksby reacted with a laughing emoji as the tennis Hall of Famer threw his racket in disbelief at being called out for a foot fault.
McEnroe, alongside other tennis legends Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang, stole the spotlight this week as they competed in the inaugural Pickleball Slam. The sport is a lot similar to tennis, but the court size, speed of the game, equipment used, and rules are different.
The hard-hitting duo of Agassi and Roddick took home a hefty one million dollar prize money after outclassing McEnroe and Cheng in the finals. McEnroe, who is a seven-time Grand Slam Champion, has previously mentioned being heavily impressed by Jenson Brooksby and feels that the youngster has a bright future.
The 64-year-old American stated that his compatriot is one of the most talented individuals from his age group and could compete for Major tournaments soon.
“I’ve wanted to try to meet this kid and get to know him a little bit just from the standpoint of an interesting level because I think he’s one of, if not the most talented, of his crop at the moment. I truly believe if a few things are ironed out with him, he could be a top player and contend for Majors,” John McEnroe said in an interview during Laver Cup.
"I’ll be very motivated to get back to where I was and climb even higher" - Jenson Brooksby
Jenson Brooksby has vowed to do his best and get back to playing at a high level once he recovers from his left wrist surgery. The American secured runner-up finishes at the 2022 Dallas Open and the Atlanta Open and also reached a career-high ranking of World No. 48.
He plans to tweak his game and make it better during his time off tour. The 22-year-old even wishes to climb higher in the ATP rankings than his previous best once he returns to competing in top-level events.
“I’m excited. I’m confident I’ll be able to reset mentally and improve in areas I can. Obviously I’ll be very motivated to get back to where I was and climb even higher. I think my ceiling is really, really high so I’m excited to just be more independent and do my best to reach my goals,” Jenson Brooksby said in an interview with ATPtour.com.