What makes… James Blake?

James Blake lost in five sets yesterday to Germany’s Tommy Haas (4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6). Blake has never made it to a grand slam final, (wiki link) but , if you watched the match yesterday, you would have never known it. There was a J-Bl0ck section of the crowd (complete with branded t-shirt) and these people were going mental for the cue-balled one.

Though relatively new to closely following the sport, I am familiar enough to know that Blake’s been around for a while and been around enough to get some good television exposure. You may not recognize him now, but he had a good run as with his dreadlocks back in the day (not a great pic, but you get the idea).

He’s a good looking guy, mixed heritage, strong game, young, safe… seems like a perfect formula for pitching products.

But, if you look at his profile on his website…

(…wait…)

(what? ok.)

James Blake does not have a website. The only sponsors I can see in his portfolio are Nike and Dunlop (racket). He is a truly inspirational fellow (read the summary on his book) and has a great story to tell, but no one to tell it!

If you ask me what Andy Roddick’s brand is (and YES, this is part of the reason that he is not as likable as Blake), he personifies exclusiveness, from the premium shirt and trucker hat, watch (warning: Flash), car, software (really!), to credit cards (YouTube), shoes and equipment.

The point is, James has a great opportunity to be a foil to Roddick, and create a brand that represents everything that Roddick is not. He just needs to step up and make it happen.