American tennis player Jenson Brooksby has been given an 18-month suspension after an independent tribunal determined he missed three drug tests within the span of a year.
Key points:
- Athletes can be banned without a positive drug test if they miss three within 12 months
- Jenson Brooksby accepted two of the charges, but disputes a third
- Brooksby intends to appeal his suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Brooksby accepted that his “whereabouts failures” for two of the missed tests “were valid” and the tribunal found his degree of fault for the other test “was high”.
Under anti-doping rules, athletes can be penalised without a positive test if they have three whereabouts failures within 12 months.
“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,” Brooksby wrote in a post on social media.
“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.”
He said he did not know a doping control officer was trying to find him that morning, his mobile phone was on silent when there was a call to it and his hotel room was never called.
“I was awake and had nothing to hide,” Brooksby wrote, adding that he intended to appeal the ruling.
He accepted a provisional suspension in July, so his ban will be backdated to then and end on January 4, 2025. He has a three-week window in which to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which he plans to do.
“Jenson is very disappointed,” Brooksby’s advisor Amrit Narasimhan said.
“We’re focused on our efforts moving forward and appealing with CAS.”
Brooksby, a Californian who turns 23 this week, has been ranked as high as number 33.
He is currently at number 301 after going most of the season without competing because he needed two operations for dislocated wrist tendons — on his left arm in March, and on his right in May.
His last match on tour came in January, when he beat three-time grand slam finalist Casper Ruud at the Australian Open before losing to eventual semifinalist Tommy Paul.
Brooksby’s best result at a major tournament was reaching the fourth round at the 2021 US Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
“I will be back,” Brooksby wrote Tuesday, “and I hope it will be soon.”
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AP