Former world number four James Blake announced during an emotional press conference at the US Open 2013 on Monday that the ongoing hardcourt Grand Slam tournament will be his last.
“No real surprise here. This is my last tournament,” Blake said at a news conference, wiping away tears following the announcement.
“I always wanted to end my career at the U.S. Open,” he added.
The 33-year old tennis star achieved the career-high ranking of number four in 2006. He’s currently ranked 100th in the world and has a 9-13 win-loss record this season. He will be facing Ivo Karlovic in the first round.
Blake has had a remarkable run on tour. He reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, with two of them coming from the US Open in 2005 and 2006. He lost to Andre Agassi and Roger Federer respectively.
The Harvard-educated tennis player announced this a year his close friend and former US Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick retired, also making the move after the US Open.
“Despite the tears, I’m actually really happy about this,” he said.
Blake is eyeing the possibility of becoming a television commentator for the sport or becoming the captain of the US Davis Cup team.
