American Tennis Pro Jenson Brooksby Faces 18-Month Suspension for Missing Three Drug Tests

October 25, 2023 - Jenson Brooksby faced suspension after an independent forum determined that he had missed three drug tests within 12 months.

According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, Brooksby confessed that his "whereabouts failures" for two of the missed tests "were valid." At the same time, the tribunal stated that his degree of guilt for the other test "was high. The anti-doping rules clearly state that an athlete can be penalized for failing to give his/her whereabouts three times in a year.

Brooksby says he intends to appeal the ruling.

"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," he wrote on Tuesday in a post on social media. "I accepted that 2 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 had no idea a doping control officer was looking for him that morning; his mobile was on mute when a call came in, and his hotel room was never phoned. "I was awake and had nothing to hide," Brooksby stated, adding that he would appeal the decision.

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Jenson has 21 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which he intends to do.

"I have been fighting injuries for almost a year, and my return to the sport that I love will, unfortunately, be delayed a little bit longer," said the former world No. 33. If Brooksby's request for a lesser sentence is denied, his suspension will terminate on January 4, 2025.

The ITIA Chief Executive's statements and the evidence presented are clear.

Brooksby's suspension was verified by the ITIA in a statement following a meeting on October 10 with the player and witnesses, including a doping control officer. "Having considered the evidence, the tribunal found that Brooksby's degree of fault for the missed test was high," the ITIA stated in a statement. According to the panel, a doping control officer who sought to administer the second test took "all reasonable steps" to locate Brooksby at the time.

"The whereabouts programme is a critical tool in maintaining a clean sport, and no one wants players to break the rules in this way," ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said in a statement. "We urge all players to take the necessary steps to ensure that they are meticulous with their whereabouts filings," Karen added.

Jenson Brooksby's suspension has created quite an unrest among the fans.

The fans are against the decision made by ITIA, and the disappointment of their favourite player is making them make various judgements regarding this.

"During tournaments, they are often not able to travel to the drug testing location." a fan wrote.

"Honestly, The anti-doping folks need to do a better job and make the process easier for the players. This is not a sport where cheating is an issue, so don't make it one unnecessarily." another person wrote.

People are giving their opinions, and they all assured Jenson Brooksby that he is not alone and he must appeal to fight back. We have to wait for further news until this trial is taken forward.

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