James Blake (tennis)
James Riley Blake (born December 28, 1979) is an American former professional tennis player. He won 10 titles on the ATP Tour (out of 24 finals contested), reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4. His career highlights included reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (beating world No. 1 Roger Federer en route), the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open and 2005 and 2006 US Opens, two titles at the Hopman Cup (in 2003 and 2004) and being the American No. 1 in men's singles. Blake was also a key performer for the victorious United States 2007 Davis Cup team, winning both his matches in the championship tie against Russia.
| Country (sports) | United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Westport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Born | December 28, 1979 Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Turned pro | 1999 |
| Retired | August 29, 2013 (singles) June 2023–present (doubles) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Brian Barker (1995–2009) Kelly Jones (2009–2011) |
| Prize money | US$ 7,981,882 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 366–256 (58.8%) (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 10 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (November 20, 2006) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2008) |
| French Open | 3R (2006) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2006, 2007) |
| US Open | QF (2005, 2006) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (2006) |
| Olympic Games | SF – 4th (2008) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 132–121 (52.2%) (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (March 31, 2003) |
| Current ranking | No. 2081 (June 26, 2023) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2005) |
| French Open | 2R (2002) |
| Wimbledon | SF (2009) |
| US Open | 2R (2000, 2001) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2007) |
| Hopman Cup | W (2003, 2004) |
| Last updated on: 26 June 2023. | |
In 2004, Blake fractured a vertebra in an accident while training. He made a full recovery, and in 2005 he was presented with the Comeback Player of the Year award for his return to the tour. Later, in 2008, Blake was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. Blake's autobiography, Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life, co-written with Andrew Friedman, discussed his comeback after his 2004 season. It was released on July 3. 2007, and debuted at No. 22 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Blake retired from professional tennis at the 2013 US Open, being defeated in five sets against Ivo Karlovic and in three sets in men's doubles.