James Blake's life was getting better every day. A rising tennis star
and People magazine's Sexiest Male Athlete of 2002, he was leading a
charmed life and loving every minute of it. But all that ended in May
2004, when Blake fractured his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he
recovered, his father--who had been the inspiration for his tennis
career--lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's
death, Blake was dealt a third blow when he contracted zoster, a rare
virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already
jeopardized career.
In Breaking Back, Blake provides a remarkable account of how he came
back from this terrible heartbreak and self-doubt to become one of the
top tennis players in the world. A story of strength, passion, courage,
and the unbreakable bonds between a father and son, Breaking Back is a
celebration of one extraordinary athlete's indomitable spirit and his
inspiring ability to find hope in the bleakest of times.