James Blake Tennis Quotations

Obviously he can do about anything with a tennis racket in his hand. But on a given day, hopefully so can I.

I don't want respect just because I'm in the Nike ad or just because I've got some sort of endorsement deal, ... I want people to look at me as a tennis player, as a legitimate player that's won a lot of matches. I'm doing my part these last couple days to prove that to them.

What does that say about men's tennis these days? They're two pretty cute girls. I don't blame him.

I think I found a balance partly in knowing that I found a little bit of a different perspective. It is not the end of the world if I lose a tennis match, but also the realization that my career won?t last forever. A moment like this is not guaranteed, and I want to work to make sure I have more moments like these. I want to appreciate them for what they are and realize that it can happen and it can be me out there.

Being around my friends and having breakfast with them after sleeping in my own bed is nice. To play tennis in an atmosphere like this. Doing a job that I love. I can't complain a bit about any of this.

Rafael is an unbelievable player. I think he somehow brings out the best in me, because I played some of my best tennis against him at the U.S. Open.

That first set was definitely not his best tennis and I didn't expect that to continue but sometimes it's tough to pick your game up when someone has such a bad set and then they pick their game up, ... I really didn't want it to go to three sets because I knew how well he was starting to play and he can really get rolling. It was a great match and a great tiebreaker at the end.

I've got to start talking to somebody about getting some better draws, ... I always see it as an opportunity. I expect really high-level tennis on Saturday. I couldn't quite break through those times, but maybe this time will be different.

I want everybody to tune in, ... people who are tennis fans and people who aren't tennis fans, and we'll give them a good show and do it the right way.

It was a fun crowd. I was down there in the first two rounds in the first few rounds he was kind of on the back court and hearing the crowd go crazy. It seemed like they were almost a soccer crowd because I don't think they were all real tennis fans at the beginning of these few weeks, but by now I'm sure they are. It really does help and make a big difference when you know you have people cheering for you.

I'm definitely flattered and humbled any time I can put my name in the same sentence with Arthur Ashe. That's something that is always an accomplishment to me. He's a role model for more than just tennis players, I think.

I never faced Pete (Sampras) in a match. I think from watching, his is the best serve ever. And he is the only guy that I would probably not take the bet that he would so often offer in practice -- he's down love-40, says '10 bucks, I still hold serve.' I probably wouldn't even take that against him. So many times he would come back and win. He would just put it on the dime. I also wouldn't take the bets when we were just practicing our serves, he put just a tennis ball can on the other side, and says, 'A hundred bucks for who hits more.' That's not a safe bet with him.

I really think it is going to make me a better player, giving me the perspective ... that there are much worse things in life than losing a tennis match, ... It will give me a little more calm on the court.

I really think it is going to in the long run make me a better player giving you the perspective of being out on the court knowing that it's not the end of the world if you lose and that gives you the opportunity to go after your shots a little more, ... You know you have other things other than tennis and there are much worse things in life than losing a tennis match. So it will give me a better perspective, a little more calm on the court. Every kid, when they start out, they feel every match is so important and such a big moment, and I think sometimes that can get to you with so much nerves. Now I don't feel that nearly as much.

If I couldn't play tennis again, am I still going to be happy going back to school, maybe going to business school, doing whatever else I could do? ... Would I be able to be happy if my eye never came back to normal and I couldn't really be athletic at all the rest of my life? Could I find a way to still be happy? All those I tried to answer yes.

If I'm playing tennis like this, I'm a guy that NOBODY wants to play. I think there are a lot of guys who don't want to see me in their draw.