James Blake was born on December 28th, 1979 in New York, USA. He is renowned for his speed, powerful forehand and excellent service returns. Blake turned pro in 1999. He first gained recognition when he took Leyton Hewitt to five sets in the 2001 US Open.

In 2004 Blake had a horrific year. His father died of cancer, he broke his neck whilst placing tennis and suffered from shingles. In the summer of 2005 Blake bounced back and was injury free. He reached the Quarter Finals of the US Open and has since won eight titles on the ATP Tour, all on hard courts.