James Blake made a quiet entrance into the InterContinental Hotel in Santa Monica, comfortably outfitted in a Mets hat and T-shirt.
He was the only player at the Countrywide Classic draw party, speaking to the media on behalf of a 32-man field. The entire batch of reporters huddled around as the cool 27-year-old sipped on a glass of water and calmly answered each question.
His confidence was steady, his voice articulate and composed. He wasn’t necessarily loud, but he was certainly clear.
“I know I have the ability to win,” he said. “It’s just a matter of staying patient.”
Blake’s patience has been tested time and again. He was nearly paralyzed falling into a net post in 2004 and doubted that he would ever play tennis again.
But he kept on, starting the 2005 season ranked 210th before climbing into the top 50. He followed that with a spectacular turnaround season in 2006. Blake won five tournaments, qualified for his first Masters Cup and finished the year as the fourth-ranked player in the world. He now is ranked ninth.
So Blake is the star this week in Los Angeles and an unquestionable face of American tennis. He’s already won earlier this year at the Sydney International. He has a new book out, and is one of People magazine’s sexiest men alive. But he’s hardly flashy, on or off the court.
“I know that I need to play with a little more of a relaxed attitude,” Blake said. “That’s when I’m dangerous.”
Most would say that, on the court, Blake is dangerous all the time.
“When … Blake is on his game he is almost impossible to beat,” tennis great Jack Kramer said. “He’s just got to get to that level on a consistent basis.”
Blake is trying to get there. Even at 27, he is improving and shows no signs of wear. This week’s tournament is the 25th of the year for Blake; he’s playing more often than most top-10 players. In addition to the win at Sydney, he came in second at Delrey Beach.
He’s struggled in the three Grand Slam tournaments of the season, though. He had a disappointing outing at the French Open, falling in his first match to Ivo Karlovic in four sets. He slipped at Wimbledon in the round of 32. Fernando Gonzalez, the top-ranked player at the Classic this week, beat him at the Australian Open in the round of 16.
But Blake’s confidence hasn’t wavered.
“I feel like I’m still getting better,” Blake said. “Twenty-seven seems old these days, but I feel like I’m going to be able to compete for years to come.”
Indeed, Blake is poised for more success, and the Countrywide Classic is the beginning of an important road for him. It marks the opening of the US Open Series.
The 10-tournament series allows Blake to play on his favorite surface in preparation for the US Open in August. He’ll start the tournament with a Tuesday match against Alexander Peya.
The tournament also marks an event where Blake is the fan-favorite and the top-ranked American in the field. It’s a position Blake is growing accustomed to with the departure of Andre Agassi and the limited schedules of the tour’s top players.
“It is another one of those things I wouldn’t have been able to handle at 21,” Blake said. “Now I know I just have to do my best. It probably sounds selfish, but it’s going to help me play better tennis.”
Blake has received plenty of attention since breaking onto the tour in 1999, but he hasn’t always handled it with so much savvy. After claiming his first ATP win in 2002, he suffered an up-and-down struggle in 2003.
“It was tough to deal with people gunning for me at that age,” Blake said. “It started a little bit of a slump.”
Now, having weathered such a tumultuous stretch, his veteran status is evident. He said the process of writing the book helped him and taught him a lot about himself. His perspective is remarkably grounded.
“I feel lucky to be out there on the court,” Blake said. “I’m realistic about the fact that if the worst thing that happens to me in a day is that I lose a tennis match, it’s still a pretty good day.”
Blake is determined to claim a few more victories in preparation for the US Open than he did last year. He seems to hold that tournament in particular esteem. It was the site of perhaps his most memorable match, an epic contest in the 2005 quarterfinal against Agassi. Blake lost in a fifth-set tiebreak.
When asked about that loss, what it meant to him, Blake was as candid as ever.
“I know that no matter how many times I watch that match during rain delays, I’m still going to lose,” he said. “I’ve already come to terms with it.”
Blake will take that laid-back style into the Countrywide Classic. But don’t be fooled.
“I think I’m more prepared for the success this second time around,” he said. “I’ve been through a little bit more in life.”