James Blake to Join Jack Sock’s Coaching Staff

December 3, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

Former world number four James Blake will be part of the coaching team of Jack Sock in 2015. Blake helped out his fellow American at times this past season after retiring in 2013, and says he will help out more in 2015, but in a limited capacity.

“I’m mainly focusing on my family, being at home and spending a lot of time with two little girls, that definitely keeps me pretty busy,” Blake told Tennis Panorama. “I don’t like to travel, I don’t like being on the road 30 weeks out of the year like I was when I was playing.”

Blake will not travel with Sock all year as a full-time coach, but will serve as a helping hand as Sock goes through the rigors of the ATP tour. The 22-year-old Sock finished this past year ranked 42nd in the world, the highest such ranking of his career.

“In terms of Jack, I just helped him with some of the bigger picture stuff, to be able to talk to him on the phone and helping keep his mind set the right way, because he’s got a full-time coach,” said Blake. “I don’t want to interfere with that, I’m not dealing with X’s and O’s, strokes and stuff. I’m more of a mentor and a friend, someone that’s going to be a sounding board for him.”

Blake says that he remembers what it was like to be a young player on the tour and the trials and tribulations that come along with it. Sock notched a couple of big wins in 2014 including one over Kei Nishikori in Shanghai, and will look to have a breakout 2015.

“If I can do that for others, that would be something in the future that I’d be proud to be a part of,” said Blake. “I went through it all and hopefully have others have that knowledge as well.”


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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