James Blake (tennis)
With blistering speed and flat forehands, this Harvard-educated athlete mounted a thrilling comeback from injury and tragedy to crack the world's top five.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American tennis player·Birthday: December 28·Generation X
Biography
James Blake's tennis story is one of formidable resilience. Turning pro after an All-American career at Harvard, he quickly established himself with a powerful, aggressive style. In 2004, his world collapsed: he broke his neck in a court accident, then lost his father to cancer, and temporarily developed a paralysis in his face. What followed was one of the sport's great comebacks. Returning in 2005, he played the most inspired tennis of his life, storming to multiple titles and soaring to a career-high world No. 4. Blake became the emotional anchor of the US Davis Cup team, his epic five-set victory over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in the 2007 final securing the trophy. His career, marked by sportsmanship and explosive ball-striking, proved that power and intellect could be a devastating combination.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
James was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 4 in 2006.
- Won 10 ATP Tour singles titles, including victories at Washington D.C. and New Haven multiple times.
- Was a pivotal member of the winning 2007 US Davis Cup team, winning his crucial reverse singles match in the final.
- Reached the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, defeating Rafael Nadal en route.
Did You Know?
He was diagnosed with severe scoliosis as a teenager and wore a full back brace for 18 hours a day.
He authored a memoir, 'Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life', about his 2004 trials.
He is of African-American and British descent.
He served as the tournament director for the Miami Open, one of the biggest events on tour.
“I've always said you can learn more from someone's character in a loss than in a victory.”
