Olympian James Blake Launches Cancer Fund

Aug. 17, 2008 — -- As James Blake approaches the practice court, it's surprising that more people don't realize that one of the best tennis players in the world is walking among them.

I was at the Tennis Championships in Indianapolis on July 14, the first stop of the U.S. Open Series, and an unbelievable mecca for Midwestern tennis buffs unable to fly east for the one grand slam on American soil.

But Blake has such an unassuming air about him that he almost fits right in, even though he carries an unbelievably large tennis bag with him -- much larger than those the fans are carrying desperate for players, like Blake, to sign. It isn't until he gets between the lines and lets his signature forehands rip that the crowd begins to gather.

Blake's celebrity has always been a mystery to him and his family.

"The first times I'd get fan mail, or all the autograph seekers or all the kids that are wanting me to sign their shirt, their hand, their arm ... anything and [my parents] just laughed," Blake recalls. "You know, I'm their youngest kid. ... They see me as their baby no matter what."

Blake's celebrity status is sure to hit an all-time high after having the greatest win of his professional career this week. On Thursday, he defeated one of the best tennis players of all time, Roger Federer, in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. Federer has always been a thorn in Blake' side, winning all of their previous eight matches, and Thursday was a day of redemption.

Unfortunately his spectacular win was followed by two tough losses, costing James his shot at the bronze medal.

Playing in his first Olympics has been the realization of a life-long dream for the pro. But it is bittersweet. Four years ago he sat out the games, recovering from injuries, illness and the death of his father.

He remembers his dad, Thomas Blake Sr., as a friend, a role model, a disciplinarian and a superhero.

"He just seemed to be youthful and full of life. He was able to keep up with my brother and me through our teenage years on the tennis court, on the golf course, no matter what. He had so much energy; it seemed like it was endless," Blake says. "This was the first time, when he got sick, that I could imagine anything kind of striking him down."

James found out his father had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in the early summer of 2003. His father's absence at Wimbledon was initially blamed on an excess of work. But soon after James was eliminated in the second round of the tournament, his mother revealed the devastating truth.

"It really just took me back so quickly. It made everything else seem so pale in comparison," Blake says. "I really don't even remember one thing that happened in Wimbledon that year. I didn't watch or care after that. Everything else just seemed very unimportant."