Arthur Ashe

Lore & Background

Arthur Ashe was born in Richmond, Virginia, to Arthur Ashe Sr. and Mattie Cordell Cunningham Ashe. His mother died when he was six, and he and his brother were raised by their father, a caretaker for Richmond's recreation department. Ashe began playing tennis at age seven on the courts of Brookfield park, a blacks-only public playground, where his talent was noticed by instructor Ron Charity. He was later coached by Robert Walter Johnson, who taught him sportsmanship and composure. In 1960, Ashe moved to St. Louis to attend Sumner High School, where he could compete more freely, and won the previously segregated U.S. Interscholastic tournament in 1961.

Ashe attended UCLA on a tennis scholarship, graduating with a degree in Business Administration, and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969, reaching the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He won the US Open in 1968 as an amateur, becoming the first Black male to capture the title, and helped the U.S. Davis Cup team win the championship that year. In 1975, he was ranked world No. 1 by several tennis authorities and won the ATP Player of the Year award. He retired in 1980.

After retiring, Ashe learned he had HIV from a blood transfusion received during heart bypass surgery in 1983. He publicly announced his illness in April 1992 and founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He died from AIDS-related pneumonia on February 6, 1993. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in June 1993, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main court for the US Open, is named in his honor.

Reader's Guide

Arthur Ashe's significance lies in his pioneering role as a Black tennis champion who broke racial barriers in a predominantly white sport. He was the first Black player selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team and the only Black man to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. His 1968 US Open victory, won as an amateur, made him the first Black male champion in the tournament's history. Ashe's legacy extends beyond tennis through his activism after contracting HIV from a blood transfusion. He used his public announcement in 1992 to educate others about HIV and AIDS, founding two organizations dedicated to combating the disease. His posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom and the naming of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world, underscore his lasting impact on sports and public health.

Did You Know?

• Ashe was the only player to win both the amateur and open national championships in the same year (1968).
• He could not accept the $14,000 first-prize money for his 1968 US Open win because he needed to maintain amateur status for Davis Cup eligibility.
• Ashe's brother Johnnie served an additional tour in Vietnam so Arthur could compete in the 1968 US Open and avoid the Vietnam War.
• Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton on June 20, 1993.