James Blake

Who is James Blake?

James Riley Blake is a former American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2013, Blake had amassed 24 career finals appearances, while his career-high singles ranking was World No. 4. His career highlights included reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the semifinals of the Beijing Olympics and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and US Open, as well as being the former American No. 1. His two titles for the United States at the Hopman Cup are an event record. Blake was a key performer for the United States 2007 Davis Cup championship team, going 2–0 in the championship tie vs. Russia at second singles. In 2005, Blake was presented with the Comeback Player of the Year award for his remarkable return to the tour. Later, in 2008, Blake was awarded another honor by the ATP, where he was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. On July 3, 2007, Blake's autobiography Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life, which discussed his comeback after his unlucky 2004 season, was released and debuted at No. 22 on the New York Times Best Seller list. He co-wrote this book with Andrew Friedman. Blake announced that he would retire from tennis after competing at the 2013 US Open, to which he suffered a first round loss after five sets against Ivo Karlovic. Blake's career ended on August 29, 2013, after a 6–2 2–6 2–6 doubles loss in the 2013 US Open.