It's probably pretty common knowledge at this point that American James Blake announced he was going to retire at the end of the 2013 US Open. Although he's had a chance to live what many would call a dream, Blake hasn't had an easy go of it during his professional career. His has been a story of resiliency and an ability to overcome struggles in his personal life. In 2004 he suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck, lost his father to stomach cancer, and then later battled shingles, nearly losing feeling in his face in the process.
I know I'm sad to see James go, but—to be honest—I think it was probably the right time. The past year or so has seen his ranking hovering around 100 and at 33 years of age, it's no surprise that James decided it was time to move on with his life.
Unfortunately for James, his 2013 US Open campaign probably ended a little sooner than he hoped. Running into big-serving, 6' 10" Ivo Karlovic—a former top 20 player in his own right—was a little bit of bad luck, but James had some chances and seemed to play pretty well. He even managed to jump out in front, grabbing a two sets-to-none lead. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, but at least James went out in a 5-set blaze of glory.
I was a little sad to see how empty the seats were towards the beginning, but I know the weather really played havoc with the schedule and probably pulled fans towards some of the other courts. Everything turned out OK in the end as the stands filled up towards the conclusion of the match and James got the ovation he deserved after the match concluded.
There is good news for any Blake fans that missed the match: he's partnering Jack Sock in doubles later today so there's at least one more chance to see James play. The bad news is that they're slated to go against the second seeded team of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. Peya and Soares are a good team, so the odds are probably stacked against a Blake-Sock victory. Any interested fans should definitely seize what is probably the last opportunity to see Blake play on a big stage.
Ultimately, I'm not sure that James will go down in the tennis history books—he reached #4 in the world, but never managed to make the semifinals at a Major—and I don't know if he's Hall of Fame material, but he was always gracious and classy. Hall of Fame or not, James has given us a lot over his 14 year career, including some really great matches, and I wish him the best. Thanks for the memories, James!
American Tennis Player James Blake Retires
