James Blake set for tennis return after a decade


May 25, 2023 9:58 am

Former American tennis professional James Blake is on the verge of a stellar comeback on the tennis circuit after nearly a decade. He will take part in the doubles tournament at the Rancho Santa Fe Pro Open – a $15,000 ITF event. Blake will partner Hudson Rivera, the incoming Stanford Men’s Tennis freshman, at M15 Rancho Sante Fe Open. The pair entered the tournament after receiving a wild card.

This tournament will be played in Rancho Santa Fe, California, from May 29 to June 4 and it will be Blake’s first professional tournament since losing to Ivo Karlovic in the first round of the US Open 2013. Blake spoke about his return to tennis, saying that he is not having any expectations from his comeback match. However, the 43-year-old added that “competitive juices” are still running in him. Enhance your tennis viewing experience with attractive betting odds from Nextbet

“It’s going to be fun. I haven’t played a tournament in 10 years since I announced my retirement. I don’t have any expectations. The competitive juices are still there, and I’ll go out there and I’m still going to want to win,” Blake said.

James Blake made his debut as a professional in 1999 and went on to win 11 titles on the ATP tour. The American’s best results on the tour include reaching the finals of ATP Finals in 2006, then called the Tennis Masters Cup. Blake also reached the semi-finals of the Beijing Olympics 2008, the quarter-finals of the Australian Open 2008, and the US Open 2005 and 2006. He reached his best ranking of World No. 4 in November 2006.

The news of James Blake’s impending comeback to professional tennis drew hilarious reactions from former American tennis star Mardy Fish and tennis journalist and anchor Steve Weismann. Steve Weismann was ecstatic to see Blake’s return to tennis and advised him to hit his famous overhead shots. Blake responded to Weismann, joking that his young competitors will try to “take” his head off with their shots. Follow Nextbet Sports to get the latest updates from the world of sports.

“Love this!! Let’s go @JRBlake !! Hit overheads like @MardyFish says you do,” Weismann tweeted. “Haha. It will be fun, but these young kids are gonna try to take my head off for sure,” Blake reacted.