It’s been more than 35 years since Ronald Reagan stated, during his first inaugural address, “Those who say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.” We discovered heroes in every state, starting with the determined 69-year-old who won a match at an ITF Pro Circuit event earlier this year in the Alabama town of Pelham, and culminating with the coach who has overcome multiple sclerosis to build a winning program at the University of Wyoming. Their compelling stories of courage, perseverance and achievement demonstrate that the message delivered by our 40th President rings as true today as it did then.
In February 2015, James Blake was approached by the United States Tennis Association to be the chairman of the USTA Foundation, the association’s charitable organization.
The former world No. 4 didn’t need to consider the offer for very long. The job description was right up his alley.
Born in Yonkers, NY, but raised in Fairfield, CT, the 36-year-old is a big proponent of education and giving back to those in need, both of which are key components of the USTA Foundation’s overall mission.
“My goal is to keep being helpful and using my voice any way I can, and any way it’s effective,” says Blake, who helped the U.S. win the 2007 Davis Cup. “I hope to be doing this for a long time.”
Blake’s tennis journey began modestly, at the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP), when he was just 5 years old. He went to the Harlem Armory Center nearly every Sunday until he was 15, and even though he far surpassed his peers on the court—it wouldn’t be long until Blake would play collegiately at Harvard University—as soon as he got his driver’s license he went to Harlem once a week to volunteer, just as his father did when Blake was a child.