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. More information here.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) For live music events in the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace visitors are only permitted to bring in one small bag with them, which must not be bigger than A4 in size. Should you need to bring a bag, we encourage you to bring the smallest one possible for your needs. With his latest album, Friends That Break Your Heart, reaching #4 on the UK charts, and recent collaborations with Metro Boomin, Blake’s influence in popular music continues to soar as he gears up for his sixth studio album, Playing Robots Into Heaven (out 8 September).īAG POLICY: For events at Alexandra Palace, we encourage you to attend without bags. The GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer has also earned critical acclaim, with albums like James Blake and Overgrown being hailed as modern classics. Renowned for his collaborations with industry heavyweights like Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé, James Blake’s enigmatic presence has made him a driving force in 21st-century music. Following his highly successful 2022 show here, James Blake is set to return to Ally Pally in September 2023 as part of his Playing Robots Into Heaven Tour.
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