JAMES BLAKE
Serves Up A Bestseller

The world’s number six seeded tennis player, James Blake, came home to Tampa. In a recent book signing at Cole Haan for his memoir, Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life, Blake comments on bringing his book home.

Tennis Star James Blake signing his book

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Blake. “Obviously people know I didn’t grow up here and still this many people came out to support me, especially with so much going on in Tampa with the Devil Rays, the Bucs and now USF, everyone’s really adopted me here."

After overcoming a severe neck injury that nearly ended his pro tennis career paired with losing his father to stomach cancer, Blake recovered in spite of the odds. Since, Blake has volleyed against greats Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and nearly made it to the quarterfinals at this year’s U.S. Open.

A portion of sales from the event went to the Thomas Blake, Sr. Research Fund at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

— By Shelley Green