Blake dishes on comeback, Federer, state of the game

	Overcoming a broken back and the death of his dad in 2004 helped make Blake a tougher opponent. He's currently ranked No. 6. Joe McNally/SI
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A new feature here at the tennis page: We'll do a monthly interview with a figure in the sport. We'll kick it off with James Blake.

SI.com: Your story -- what you endured in 2004, how you came back and entered the top five -- has been told to death. But with a few years to reflect, what's your take?

Blake: I guess I'm still surprised it happened so quickly, that I got back. But when I did come back, I sort of figured I was doing so as a better player. I had learned a lot in that time, and experience and perspective count for a lot. But luck figures in, too. I stayed away from injuries.

I mean that '05 U.S. Open, I was a wild card. I could have played Roger Federer in the first round. Then, I played Andre Agassi in such an important match. Either of us could have woken up with a little flu bug or [felt] a little off and it wouldn't have lived up to the hype. It just so happened that we played well. That's just one example. After all that, I definitely believe things happen for a reason.

SI.com: Are you religious?

Blake: I grew up catholic, but lapsed. I have my own beliefs. I'm not sure all the traditions are nearly as important as the morals. I feel like if you're a good person Sunday to Sunday, it doesn't matter that much if you're at mass for an hour once a week. I was an altar boy growing up. I saw people who were in church all the time but weren't necessarily living good lives. It's not a free pass if you go to church. The way you live your life means more than saying prayers at a certain time on Sunday.

SI.com: Has your success changed or had any impact on your racial identity?

Blake: It's definitely something I think about. It's funny because it's always "first African-American to do this or that" or "first African-American since Arthur Ashe." It's great to mentioned in the same sentence as him but I -- my mom especially -- gets antsy. "Why can't I just be American? Haven't I achieved enough on my own to just be James Blake: American?"

Part of me is African-American, but it's not the only part. My mom was like, it was one thing when you were first coming up and there was novelty or whatever, but she feels, "You've done enough to warrant just being called an American." I tell people over and over, "I grew up in Connecticut," but it always ends up as "Harlem to Harvard, Harlem to Harvard."

I love Harlem, I love the Harlem Junior Tennis Program, but I grew up here and I'm not going to deny it to make a better story. To me, the story should be about the No. 6 guy in the world, and not where I'm from or not from.

SI.com: Is it a weird time in men's tennis?

Blake: Yeah. Even when Pete Sampras dominated, he wasn't consistently winning three Slams a year like Roger. It's strange because people outside tennis don't always get it. They say, "You're No. 6? Only a few spots and you'll be No. 1." I don't think you understand they guy ahead of me. What he's doing is just incredible. It's like the years of frustration for the other teams when Michael Jordan was in the NBA.