TRAVISMATHEW WELCOMES JAMES BLAKE TO THE FAMILY

Former professional tennis champion turned sport commentator, writer, philanthropist, and social activist, James Blake is something of a jack of all trades. And while we’ve had the honor of calling James a friend for many years, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him as an official TravisMathew Ambassador.

James has never been content to just sit still—something we appreciate about him. Instead of just kicking back in his “retirement” from professional tennis, he’s involved in more than ever.

Most recently, James has set his sights on a charity race called the 4 x 4 x 48 David Goggins Challenge. A grueling physical challenge, James will be required to run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. Yep, that means even in the middle of the night. James decided to participate in the challenge as a means of raising money for the James Blake Foundation, an organization he founded to invest vital seed money into cancer research. Interested in donating to the cause? You can support James’ incredible efforts and learn more about his efforts here.

No stranger to charitable work, James created the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Cancer Research Fund at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in memory of his father. He also holds an annual celebrity tennis and entertainment event, Serving For A Cure, to raise funds for cancer research and prevention.

James has lived a remarkable life across the board. In the fall of 2015, while standing in front of his hotel in Midtown Manhattan awaiting transportation to the US Open, a NYPD plain clothes officer threw him to the ground and handcuffed him. A case of mistaken identity became a racial profiling incident and a turning point for the former tennis player. While rage would have been a justified response, Blake faced the incident with dignity and calm and used it as an opportunity for discussion. When he got to the Open, he did a press conference and a nationally syndicated interview on television the following morning, and the story went viral.

In the summer of 2017, Blake released a book inspired by this incident, Ways of Grace. His novel details a series of uplifting stories and small acts of grace from across the sports world that has helped bridge cultural and racial divides.

James Blake currently serves as a studio and remote analyst, as well as a host/correspondent for the Tennis Channel. He covers several grand slam tournaments for CNN annually and was a commentator on NBC’s Summer Olympics tennis coverage in 2022. James inspired many during an impressive tennis career that featured 10 singles titles, a Davis Cup Championship, and a New York Times Best Seller for his memoir, Breaking Back.

In January of 2018, James was hired as tournament director of the Miami Open, where he heads player relations, media, broadcast and tournament improvements and innovations.

James turned pro in 1999, while he was the #1 ranked college player at Harvard University. In 2005, after a potential career ending injury, James climbed from outside the ATP top 200 to his career high ranking of #4. This ranking made James the #1 ranked American player in the world. In response to this, James was named the 2005 ATP Comeback Player of the Year.

He followed this standout year by reaching the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup, and in 2007 was a key contributor for the United States in the 2007 Davis Cup. In the championship tie vs. Russia, James went 2-0 in second singles and helped seal the victor. After an amazing 14-year career, James retired from professional tennis at the 2013 US Open.

If you’re like us, signing someone like James Blake is incredibly exciting to you. We can’t wait to bring you more content featuring James and keep you updated on everything he’s into.

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