James Blake – Interview Part 2

By James Blake and Jason Brown

USTA.com: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for young players trying to make it from the junior ranks to collegiate to possibly playing on the USTA Pro Circuit and professional tour?

James Blake: The biggest difference between junior or collegiate players and the pros is the different levels. I tried jumping from college to the pros and it took me a few years to adjust to how talented the guys were, how many distractions there were, and how you needed to conduct yourself, on and off the court. In college, your life is pretty mapped out for you, and with juniors, you have coaches and parents which factor into every decision that you make. On the Tour, you have to do it on your own, and you have to be professional about it. It’s not about playing at a high level on one day. In the pro ranks, you have to perform at your best day in and day out for an entire year.

USTA.com: For a child, parental support is so important. Parents take all sorts of approaches to guiding their child. Some push their kids hard to succeed, while others are much more laid-back. What were your experiences growing up?

James Blake: Well, my experiences have been for parents to allow their kids to enjoy playing tennis and to not put too much pressure on them while doing so. If kids end up resenting their parents, they’re not going to listen to any of the advice they’re giving. It took my parents awhile to figure out that I wasn’t going to improve until they turned me over to Brian Barker (Blake’s current coach). From then on, Brian handled my coaching, but I’d still get plenty of advice from my parents.

USTA.com: What’s going on in your head during a match? Are you constantly thinking about things or do you try to keep things simple?

James Blake: You try to keep the same amount of focus during each point. Of course, we’re all human and there are times when you think about an important point, or you mind might wander during a 40-Love point. But basically you just try to do one thing and that’s to play the point to give yourself the best chance to win. That’s tough to do for three hours straight at a time, but the best guys are able to do it. You’re also always thinking about trying to counteract everything that your opponent is doing, so there’s that kind of problem-solving going on as well.

USTA.com: Now as a professional tennis player, what is your training regiment like? Is it mostly cardio? Do you lift weights?

James Blake: The most important part is just being out there on the court. If it’s a tough day, I’ll be out there on the court for three or four hours. If it’s an easier day, I’ll just be out there for about two hours. There’s always some sort of running involved. Whether it’s sprints or running or cardio or long-distance running or agility work – I do something of that nature every day. And I’m in the weight room usually four or five times a week when I’m not playing at a tournament. When I’m at a tournament, I’ll maybe do some light running, but that’s about it.

USTA.com: What is the key to returning serves as well as you do?

James Blake: Honestly, sometimes you just have to guess. Guys like Andy Roddick, Ivo Karlovic, Ivan Ljubicic…they hit their serves so hard that you really have to guess where it’s going. You just hope that your reflexes are quick enough to go after it and put a good swing on the ball. I find with myself that if I get too defensive, I get myself into trouble. The key for me is to go get after my shots. If you go for shots, I think you’ll like the result.

USTA.com: Who has been your toughest career opponent and why?

James Blake: That would have to be Roger Federer. I’ve never beaten him – I think that I’ve only taken 1 set off him in our last four or five matches. Against him, sometimes I play really well and it doesn’t even matter. He’s on another level that makes it tough to deal with. In my mind, he’s been my toughest opponent because I keep trying to find ways to hurt him and I can’t find any.

USTA.com: How do you cope with all of the traveling associated with being a professional tennis player?

James Blake: You just have to find ways to amuse yourself. Luckily, there are a lot of great guys on tour. So we hang out, play cards, and go to dinner together. So that really helps being with people that you really get along with. With jet lag, your body adjusts a lot quicker when you travel as much as we do. When we get into a country, we generally have a routine – for example, when we go to Europe, we usually have one day of fighting through the jet lag and getting accustomed to a normal sleeping pattern. One good long nights’ sleep usually gets you back into the routine pretty quickly. I also drink tons of water on the plane and try to get sleep when we’re in the air.

USTA.com: Who are some of your best friends on Tour?

**James Blake: Mardy Fish is my best friend on tour. We live right around the corner from each other in Tampa and train together at the Saddlebrook Academy. Andy Roddick, Robby Ginepri, and the Bryan twins are such great guys and Davis Cup teammates, too. I’ve become so much closer to them because of Davis Cup. **

USTA.com: What music have you been listening to in your iPod lately?

James Blake: I have a varied collection that goes from a lot of Rap, to R&B to Hard Rock to Classic Rock to Pop or even easy-listening – Guys like James Taylor, John Mayer and The Fray.

USTA.com: Which Grand Slam event do you want to win the most?

James Blake: Definitely the US Open. It’s the event that I grew up watching the most in the stands. It’s the biggest event in the world and its right in my home country. The US Open also has the greatest fans in the world. The Open was the site of my most memorable match, when I played that night match against Andre Agassi.