Introduction
James Arias (born August 16, 1964) is a former tennis touring professional player from the United States.
Biography
Arias was born in Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York. A baseliner, Arias turned pro at age 16 in 1980. His peak year was 1983, when as a 19-year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S. Open semi-finals, and winning the Italian Open and three other tour grand prix events. He reached his career high ranking of World No. 5 in April 1984. He retired from the tour in 1994, having amassed a 286–223 singles playing record and over $1,800,000 in prize money.
With former World No. 2 tennis player, Andrea Jaeger, he won the 1981 French Open Mixed Doubles Championship.
Arias currently serves as an assistant men's tennis coach at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Broadcast work
Arias serves as a commentator for ESPN International and Tennis Channel. Arias served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In Canada, he has worked as an analyst for Rogers Sportsnet and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on the broadcasts of the Rogers Cup.
Grand Slam finals
Mixed doubles (1 title)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1981 | French Open | Clay |  Andrea Jaeger |  Betty Stöve Fred McNair | 7–6, 6–4 |
Career titles
Singles (5 titles)
| Titles by Surface |
| Hard (0) |
| Grass (0) |
| Clay (5) |
| Carpet (0) |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | October 18, 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Clay |  Dominique Bedel | 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 2. | May 9, 1983 | Florence, Italy | Clay |  Francesco Cancellotti | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 3. | May 16, 1983 | Rome, Italy | Clay |  José Higueras | 6–2, 6–7(3–7), 6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 4. | August 1, 1983 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay |  Andrés Gómez | 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 5. | September 12, 1983 | Palermo, Italy | Clay |  José Luis Clerc | 6–2, 2–6, 6–0 |