Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Jenson Brooksby on autism diagnosis and impact on tennis career

Six days before Christmas, Jenson Brooksby took to social media to share something he had “kept quiet for his entire life”.

The 24-year-old American revealed he had been diagnosed with severe autism as a young child, and was non-verbal until the age of four.

The decision to go public had not been taken lightly, but was driven by a desire to help families living the same experience and any future professionals dealing with autism., external

“My whole life with my parents, it wasn’t something you are very comfortable sharing because there could be consequences – especially when I was younger,” Brooksby told BBC Sport.

“But I’ve learned as I’ve grown up that even with people close to me, the response is very casual and not much is thought about it.

“I think my desire to be able to help other people with it in certain scenarios – say, if they are trying to become a professional player – was bigger than any negative outcome I could have thought of.

“I really hope that future players, whether they are vocal about it or not, they at least know it’s OK for them to struggle with it and hopefully be able to explain why.”

Brooksby can remember some of the intensive therapy he received, starting aged two and at times up to 40 hours a week.

An immense gratitude to his parents is clear as he explains how they devoted their time and resources to help him speak.

For Brooksby, sport was a release. Tennis – along with basketball, swimming and athletics – came into his life aged four, with lessons following a few years later.

“Sport was a big release for me. If I sit for a long time I can have a lot of energy bottled up, and so being a very active kid really let it out,” he said.

“I always wanted to train to try to be good at something. Even at that age, I think I had that mindset of competing and to be good at something.”