Exit James Blake

Wednesday night, James Riley Blake, who started his career on the Harvard tennis team, exited his final U.S. Open in a fifth set tiebreak. He ended his career in very Blake fashion: fighting until the end.
Blake lost to the tall and lanky Croatian Ivo Karlovic. After going up two sets, Karlovic fought back, winning the last two sets in tiebreaks.
Blake has had an admirable career. He reached a world ranking of No. 4 and was ranked No. 1 in America. Blake also reached quarterfinals in the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. And his efforts were crucial to helping the 2007 Davis Cup team win against Russia.
Blake played fast tennis. He was known for his forehand, which Roger Federer said “ranked as one of the greatest shots out there” because of the short back swing that disguised its trajectory.  He achieved all this after overcoming scoliosis as a child.  The scoliosis haunted him later: Blake suffered back injuries that prevented him from playing for long periods during his career.
Blake ended his career on a historic day for African-Americans–the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the historic Martin Luther King Jr. speech, “I Have a Dream.” Former New York mayor David Dinkins saluted Blake’s career when interviewed by Pam Shriver that same night. Blake also took the opportunity after his match to speak out against homophobia, particularly in sports. He criticized Russia’s law against gays in the face of the Winter Olympics at Sochi.
Jeremy Lin’s brief and incredible success lit up Harvard students’ imaginations. Blake’s consistent achievements should do no less. He is among the best athletes to have ever come from Harvard, and should be remembered as such.