James Blake (tennis) facts for kids
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| 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 (58.84%) (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 (52.17%) (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) |
James Riley Blake (born December 28, 1979) is an American former professional tennis player. He won 10 titles on the ATP Tour, which is a big deal in tennis. He reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4.
Some of his best moments include reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup. He also made it to the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During that tournament, he even beat the world's No. 1 player, Roger Federer!
James Blake also reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open. He did the same at the 2005 and 2006 US Opens. He won two titles at the Hopman Cup (in 2003 and 2004). He was also the top-ranked American men's singles player.
Blake was a key player for the United States 2007 Davis Cup team. They won the championship against Russia that year. He won both of his matches in the final.
In 2004, James Blake had a tough year. He broke a bone in his neck during training. He also got a serious illness that affected his face and vision. Sadly, his father also passed away from cancer that year.
But James Blake made an amazing comeback! In 2005, he received the Comeback Player of the Year award. Later, in 2008, he was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. This award is given to players who do great things for others. He even wrote a book about his comeback called Breaking Back.
Blake stopped playing professional tennis at the 2013 US Open. He later returned to play doubles in 2023.
Early Life and Education
James Blake was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was African American and his mother was British. He has a brother, Thomas, who also played professional tennis.
James started playing tennis when he was five years old. He played with his older brother. When he was 13, doctors found he had severe scoliosis. This meant his spine was curved. For five years, he had to wear a back brace for 18 hours a day. He did not have to wear it while playing tennis.
His family moved to Fairfield, Connecticut. James went to Fairfield High School. A friend from school was the famous musician John Mayer. James was inspired to play tennis after hearing Arthur Ashe speak. Arthur Ashe was a tennis legend. Brian Barker was James's first coach.
James went to Harvard University. He left after his second year to become a professional tennis player. In 2018, he was honored in the ITA Collegiate Hall of Fame.
Tennis Career Highlights
Starting His Professional Journey
2001: First Steps in Pro Tennis
In 2001, at age 21, James Blake played in the Davis Cup for the first time. He was the third African-American player to do so. He was ranked No. 120 in the world. He played well at the Cincinnati Masters tournament. He even pushed the future champion, Lleyton Hewitt, to five sets at the US Open. This showed everyone he was a player to watch.
2002: Winning First Titles
In January 2002, Blake won a smaller tournament in Hawaii. A month later, he beat Tommy Haas, who was ranked No. 5. This was his first win against a top-10 player. He reached the finals in Memphis and Newport. In August, he won his first ATP Tour title in doubles. He won with his partner, Todd Martin, at the Cincinnati tournament. This was a historic win for him.
The next week, he won his first singles title in Washington. He beat Andre Agassi in the semifinals. Then he defeated Paradorn Srichaphan in the final. At the US Open, he again played Lleyton Hewitt in a close five-set match.
2003: Steady Progress
In 2003, James Blake continued to play well. He reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. He also made it to the fourth round at the Australian Open and Cincinnati. He reached the finals at Long Island. He lost to Roger Federer in the third round of the US Open.
2004: Facing Challenges
The year 2004 was very difficult for James Blake. He broke a bone in his neck during practice. This happened when he slipped on the clay court. Luckily, he was able to recover fully. In July, his father passed away from cancer. Around the same time, James got shingles. This illness temporarily made half of his face unable to move. It also blurred his vision.
Rising to the Top (2005–2008)
2005: The Great Comeback
After his injuries and personal struggles, James Blake's ranking dropped. By April 2005, he was ranked No. 210. He decided to play in smaller tournaments to get his confidence back. He won two of these tournaments in May. He then returned to the main ATP tour. In August, he reached the final in Washington, D.C.
He received a special entry into the US Open. He surprised everyone by beating No. 2 Rafael Nadal. He then reached the quarterfinals. There, he played Andre Agassi in an unforgettable match. Agassi won in a very close fifth-set tiebreak. After the match, Agassi said, "I wasn't the winner, tennis was." Blake finished 2005 ranked No. 22 in the world.
2006: Breaking into the Top 10
At the start of 2006, Blake won a title in Sydney. This was his fourth ATP tour title. He then broke into the top 20 for the first time. In March, he won his fifth title in Las Vegas. At Indian Wells, he reached his first major final. He beat world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. He became the first African-American man since Arthur Ashe to reach the world's top 10.
He reached the quarterfinals at the US Open. He lost to Roger Federer, who was the top player. Blake won his first set ever against Federer in that match. He won two more titles in Asia, in Bangkok and Stockholm. For the first time, Blake qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup. He reached the final there, but lost to Federer. James Blake finished 2006 as the highest-ranked American player, at world No. 4.
2007: Davis Cup Champion
In 2007, Blake won the Sydney International again. He reached the final of the Delray Beach tournament. He also made it to his second major final at Cincinnati. He lost to Roger Federer again. He won another singles title in New Haven, Connecticut.
At the 2007 Davis Cup finals, Blake and the U.S. team faced Russia. Blake won his match against Mikhail Youzhny. The U.S. team won the doubles match the next day. This sealed the 2007 Davis Cup victory for the United States!
2008: Olympic Success
At the Australian Open, Blake had his best performance yet. He reached the quarterfinals. There, he faced world No. 1 Roger Federer. Blake played an amazing match and beat Federer! This was one of the biggest wins of his career. He then lost in the semifinals to Fernando González. He also lost the bronze medal match to Novak Djokovic.
Blake's ranking went back into the top 10, to No. 9. He reached two more finals that year. He lost in Delray Beach and Houston. At the US Open, he lost in the third round.
Later Career and Retirement
2009: Continued Efforts
In 2009, James Blake reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. He also made it to his first clay-court final in Europe at the 2009 Estoril Open. He lost that final. At the Aegon Championships in London, he reached the final but lost to Andy Murray.
He also played doubles at Wimbledon with Mardy Fish. They reached the semifinals. After the 2009 US Open, Blake changed coaches.
2010: Dealing with Injuries
At the 2010 Australian Open, Blake lost a tough five-set match. He then missed the clay court season because of a knee injury. He played at Wimbledon, but lost in the first round. He said he might retire if his knee problems continued. Despite this, he played the US Summer hard court season. He reached the third round of the 2010 US Open. He finished the year outside the Top 100 for the first time in a decade.
2011–2013: Retirement from Singles
From 2011 to 2013, James Blake's ranking stayed outside the top 50. This was due to ongoing injuries and not playing as well. He reached one ATP-tour semifinal during this time. In August 2013, James Blake announced his retirement from singles tennis at the US Open. In 2019, he was elected to the Collegiate Hall of Fame.
2023: A Return to Doubles
James Blake returned to the tennis tour in May 2023. This was 10 years after he retired from singles. He played in a doubles event using a special entry.
Playing Style
James Blake was known for his attacking style of play. He was famous for having one of the most powerful forehands in tennis. He was also good at moving from the back of the court to the net. He had a strong serve and volley game.
Blake was very fast on his feet. His style was exciting to watch. He often hit many winning shots, but also made some mistakes. This made his matches very unpredictable and thrilling.
Equipment and Sponsors
James Blake used different tennis rackets during his career. He worked with Prince, Dunlop, Wilson, and Donnay. He also had clothing sponsors. He started with Nike and then switched to Fila in 2009. He even created his own clothing line named after his father. Blake also had endorsement deals with companies like Evian.
Personal Life
James Blake married Emily Snider in 2012. They have two daughters. He enjoys playing golf and basketball. He is a fan of the New York Mets baseball team. He is also good friends with singer John Mayer.
Community Involvement
On September 9, 2015, James Blake had a confusing incident with the New York City Police Department. He was mistakenly arrested by an officer. The police thought he looked like a suspect in a credit-card fraud case. The police commissioner later apologized for the mistake. Blake decided not to sue for money. Instead, he asked the city to create a program to help people who have faced police misconduct.
This event made Blake want to speak out more about fairness. He wrote a book called Ways of Grace in 2017. It talks about the incident and how it changed his view on helping others.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
In 2008, James Blake started The James Blake Foundation. This foundation helps fund important science research. It aims to speed up discoveries for new treatments for patients. Since 2005, he has hosted a charity tennis event called Anthem Live! This event raises money for cancer research.
In July 2008, Blake created the Thomas Blake, Sr. Memorial Research Fund. This fund supports cancer research at a major cancer center. It was named after his father, who passed away from stomach cancer. His sponsors, Nike and Fila, even made special T-shirts to support his charity.
Images for kids
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James Blake playing in 2009.
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James Blake at the 2009 French Open.
See also
In Spanish: James Blake para niños
