![]() ![]() In 2018, he was elected into the ITA Collegiate Hall of Fame.Ĭareer Early career 2001 Īt the age of 21, Blake saw his first Davis Cup action in 2001 against India and became the third person of African-American heritage to play for the Davis Cup for the United States (after Arthur Ashe and MaliVai Washington). Club, after his sophomore year to pursue a career in professional tennis. Blake left Harvard University, where he was a member of the A.D. Brian Barker was his first (and longtime) coach. Blake was inspired to pursue tennis after hearing his role model Arthur Ashe speak to the Harlem Junior Tennis Program. Blake attended Fairfield High School, where a schoolmate and childhood friend was future musician John Mayer. The Blake family moved to Fairfield, Connecticut when Blake's father's job selling surgical supplies took him from New York to Hartford, Connecticut. When he was 13, he was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, and for five years as a teenager he was forced to wear a full-length back brace for 18 hours a day, though not while playing tennis. He has a brother Thomas, who has also been a professional tennis player, and three older half-brothers: Jason, Christopher, and Howard, and a half-sister Michelle.īlake started playing tennis at the age of five alongside his older brother Thomas. 22 on the New York Times Best Seller list.īlake retired from professional tennis at the 2013 US Open, being defeated in five sets against Ivo Karlovic and in three sets inīlake was born in Yonkers, New York, to an African American father, Thomas Reynolds Blake, and a British mother, Betty. 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. Later, in 2008, Blake was named the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year. 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. In 2004, Blake fractured a vertebra in an accident while training. 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. 1 Roger Federer en route), the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open and 20 US Opens, two titles at the Hopman Cup (in 20) and being the American No. His career highlights included reaching the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (beating world No. He won 10 titles on the ATP Tour (out of 24 finals contested), reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. ![]() James Riley Blake (born December 28, 1979) is an American professional tennis player. ![]() As well as the Mercury Prize he was awarded a Grammy Award from five nominations and three Brit Award nominations in 2011, 20.366–256 (58.8%) (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup)ġ32–121 (52.2%) (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) Since then James Blake has gained popularity for his various collaborations with other famous artists including Bon iver, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Travis Scott, Andre 3000 and more. His third and fourth albums, “The Colour in Anything” and “Assume Form”, would also go on to receive massive traction and positive reviews with his fourth album entering him onto the US Billboard 200 at number 21.īefore his rise to fame he released his first record in 2009 and became a Radio 1 favourite. In 2013 he went on to be awarded the Mercury Prize and international attention with his Album “Overgrown”. He first received recognition for his EPs (CMYK and Klavierwerke) in 2010, then gained critical praise for his self-titled debut album in 2011. Blake makes music of multiple genres such as Electronic, R&B, UK bassoul post-dubstep, pop and experimental. James Blake is multi award winning singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer from london. ![]()
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