JamesBlake

“My advice to anyone starting to play the game is always to have fun. If it’s fun, you’ll keep playing.”

Looking to the future

What made the transition away from the sport so smooth was my life situation. We already had one daughter, with another one on the way. So I had plenty to keep me busy. Tennis takes up so much of your energy and focus that it was actually really nice to change that pattern and have something more important to focus on. Having that singular focus switch from tennis to my family was a real joy.

I still love watching the game. It keeps getting better and better. Players are getting more physical and taking even better care of themselves. It’s fun to watch because I know how much hard work it takes for them to be ready to compete at that level every time they step on the court. For me, a good match has a variety of points or styles. I like watching players who can do different things on the court.

There are some great young players coming through. My advice to anyone starting to play the game is always to have fun. If it’s fun, you’ll keep playing and that’s the biggest hurdle.

Just getting kids to play and to enjoy it is the first step. That would have been good advice to my younger self too. To take it a little bit easier on myself. I tended to be pretty hard on myself and could have maybe lightened up a bit at times.

That mental side, staying balanced in your head is so important. In my career, there were plenty of people who had as much, or more athleticism, than I ever did. But I had great mental strength. That’s what sets the top athletes apart.

There are some great young players coming through. My advice to anyone starting to play the game is always to have fun. If it’s fun, you’ll keep playing and that’s the biggest hurdle.

Taking inspiration

It’s important for kids to have role models too. My dad inspired me with how he raised me and led by example that hard work pays off. As an athlete, Arthur Ashe and Michael Jordan were my two biggest inspirations.

There’s a great quote from Robert Hastings – “Regrets over yesterday and fears of tomorrow are the twin thieves that rob us of the moment.” I tend to not have many regrets or too many worries about the future and just think if I do the things necessary in the moment, the rest will fall into place.