James Blake named as a Friend of Full Tilt
15 Oct 2010
James has led the US Davis Cup team since being selected in 2001, with a record of 20 wins and just nine losses. His greatest success with the US team came in 2007, when the US defeated Russia 4-1 in the Davis Cup final with James winning both of his matches.
Since turning pro in 1999, Blake has been playing tennis at the highest level, consistently being ranked amongst the game's elite. Through the course of his career, he has overcome a near-death incident and a viral infection that left him partially paralyzed and with blurred vision. Despite these setbacks, James has emerged as one of the most recognized faces in the world of tennis over the past decade.
The Yonkers-born professional was most recently seen in action at the US Open where he advanced to the third round. This marked the fifth successive US Open Championship where Blake has reached at least the last 32.
In addition to his on-court success, James was named the world's "sexiest athlete" in People Magazine's 2002 Sexiest Man Alive Issue.
In 2008, James founded the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in memory of his father. Through exhibition matches and merchandise sales he seeks to raise $1 million for cancer research. He is an avid poker player also an active volunteer at the Harlem Junior Tennis Program - the very place he learned to play tennis.