40-Love: The Forty Hottest Tennis Players Of All Time!

From: The Backlot

3. 

James Blake

YEARS ON TOUR: 1999 – 2013

PEAK RANKING: #4

MAJOR TITLES: N/A

34-year-old American James has the sweetest smile in the history of the game, but he wasn't able to wield it as much as he should have, thanks to a plethora of bizarre injuries. In 2004, he was practicing on the clay in Rome and slid into the net post, breaking his neck. Add to that a painful bout with shingles that temporarily paralyzed his face, and well, it shows his inner spirit that he was able to come back as strongly as he did. After he retired at the U.S. Open last year, James spoke out about Russia’s anti-gay laws:

“I think everyone at this point, when you look at numbers, someone in your circle, whether it’s a family member or a friend, is gay, transgender, or bisexual,” he said. “You should appreciate that those people are valued members of society, people that are doing something good in the world. They should feel comfortable to live their lives. I think any sort of policy that discriminates against them, that excludes them, is completely unfair in today’s day and age. That’s why I say we’re 50 years out and there are still things going on that are discriminatory.”

A class act.