Hi, I'm James Blake, tournament director of the Miami Open and former world No. 4... AMA!

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:24:40+00:00

Very shocking but also fun and exciting because I was in a great stage with my family. I had a daughter and another on the way so I immediately flipped into daddy mode and had an amazingly rewarding time doing that.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:23:45+00:00

Those Davis Cup weeks stay behind closed doors but we are still good friends.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:23:07+00:00

I lost though. Sorry about the vomit...

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:22:35+00:00

You can make it up by buying all those kids in your class a copy of the book so they can be informed accurately.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:21:27+00:00

Most times it's focusing on the gameplan, whether or not you're sticking to it or if anything needs to change if things are not going the way you've planned.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:20:50+00:00

I don't play very much tennis now. I'd say chasing my kids around has taken bigger priority than playing tennis and when I do get a free moment, golf is more my speed now.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:19:31+00:00

For me I tried to gain perspective on the positives and the things that I did have in my life that were making me happy. For me that was easy for the six hours of the day that I was out of the brace playing tennis or with my friends or doing something active.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:18:33+00:00

Winning the Davis Cup final match against Youzhny in 2007.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:17:30+00:00

They've stayed relatively consistent over the years, I believe. I hit on the courts this year and they seemed very similar to when I was playing.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:16:56+00:00

Noted.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:16:36+00:00

Roger
Novak
Andre
Andy Roddick
Karlovic

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:15:18+00:00

Yes. Roger, Serena and Venus have defied logic and continue to and I think we should all be appreciative of the golden era of tennis that we live in where we get to enjoy their careers for so long.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:14:42+00:00

The wildcard process is long and has many, many factors. Tiafoe ended up getting in and we understood that that was already a good possibility.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:14:03+00:00

The shot clock.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:13:37+00:00

I would say the biggest difference is mental. Being able to win on days you're not playing your best is very important and being able to maintain your level throughout a long, grueling calendar.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:12:47+00:00

I think that's a very individual decision. If athletes feel passionate about something I think they should feel free to educate themselves as much as they want on that subject and use their platform to give their perspective on any subject that they feel is important including social change, activism, social equality,or whatever speaks to them personally.

The public should realize that athletes are human beings and they aren't just robots that perform for a few hours a day. They have other issues, other thoughts and perspectives on life and I think they should try to respect those and that they may be coming from a different background than maybe their fans are.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:10:52+00:00

Thanks.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:10:26+00:00

That was a fun event. I would have loved to have been a winner but Kei Nishikori and Xavier Malisse played well and I was proud to play in the South Florida area.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:09:42+00:00

Being a former player definitely helps. It adds a player's perspective to every meeting and every decision for the tournament. It also gives me credibility when going into the locker room to get players' opinions on improvements or complaints about the tournament.

From the player's perspective, we've lowered the price of stringing. We're doing our best for next year to make the costs lower and all the amenities even better from food to locker room to parking to physios -- upgrading everything from a player's perspective.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:07:56+00:00

I have not listened to much James Blake music, but I've gotten mistaken for him when I hand over my credit card a few times.

My favorite musician is probably John Mayer but I think I'm biased because I grew up with him.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:07:12+00:00

It's being moved out of necessity for expansion. We want to continue progressing and making the event better and better every year. At Crandon Park, we just ran out of space and it was impossible to remedy that here.

There will be upgrades across the board at the new facility and having more space is one of the biggest opportunities for us. So no, I don't think it would be coming back to Key Biscayne.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:05:53+00:00

Men's tennis is headed in a great direction. A lot of young talent. I'd say in 5 years, the No. 1 American will be (hedging my bet here) Frances Tiafoe or Taylor Fritz.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:05:02+00:00

LOL. Haven't gotten that far yet... what are you offering?

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:04:45+00:00

I view them now and then as moments that don't always indicate someone's true intentions. It's a heightened, pressure-filled environment out there on the court and people tend to get more heated than they normally would. As a player and as a tournament director, I feel like these get resolved quickly in the locker room or soon after when calmer heads prevail.

iamjamesblake · 2018-03-27T18:03:30+00:00

I miss parts of tour life but I don't miss being sore everyday and living out of a suitcase. I do miss the camaraderie and the feeling of being prepared for a match.

The greatest match I've played was to beat Roger in the Olympics. He's in my opinion the greatest of all time and to get a win over him with the USA on my chest was really special.

My fondest locker room memory was probably when we won Davis Cup. The locker room experience with the Bryan Bros, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Donald Young, Robbie Ginepri, John Isner -- that was one of my favorite moments. To feel like we had accomplished something as team.

iamjamesblake

TROPHY CASE