The Cracked Interviews podcast gives you an all-access pass into the world of tennis. Dalton Thieneman & Alex Gruskin sit down with the sport’s biggest players, coaches, and academies to bring listeners inside the processes, personas, and stories that you won’t get anywhere else. Produced and Published by Daniel Westhoff.

The 2018 USTA Boy’s 18s National Champion, TCU commit, and US Open Main Draw Wild Card Jenson Brooksby stopped by the podcast to discuss winning the Gold Ball at Kalamazoo, fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing at the US Open, expectations for Flushing Meadows, his coach Joseph Gilbert of JMG Academy, looking ahead to his freshman season at TCU, Coach Roditi, and of course, his favorite Beethoven concerto.

The 17-year-old from Sacramento will play his first Grand Slam main draw match at the US Open in a few weeks, uncharted territory for most players his age. Brooksby turns the page on his junior career in storybook fashion winning two gold balls (Easter Bowl, Kzoo) in less than six months. It may be time to cue the professional aspirations dialogue…

That being said, TCU Head Coach David Roditi’s results speak for themselves. I won’t get into his impressive career as a player (you can check out our interview with the big hat wonder for that), but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Coach Roditi’s impressive developmental work of former TCU standout Cam Norrie. I am eager to see where he can take Brooksby’s game and how the Sacramento native will transition to the collegiate game. It goes without saying, but I think he will do just fine in the typically steep transition to the highest levels of D-1 tennis. His on-court results are impressive, but Jenson’s intangibles are what really take the cake:

“My main collegiate goal is to persevere through all the tough challenges I will face. My goal is to always give my best intensity and focus, and improve on my weaknesses in training. I love competition, I am a great competitor, and I will do whatever it takes to win.”- Jenson Brooksby August 17′

You’ve been put on notice, tennis fans!

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