Arthur Ashe Accepting Trophy at Fidelity Bankers Invitational Tennis Tournament, Photograph, 1970

Arthur Robert Ashe was one of the greatest tennis players in American history and a noted human rights activist. He was the first and to date is the only Black man to win the singles title in three Grand Slam tennis events--the U.S. Open (1968), the Australian Open (1970), and Wimbledon (1975), He also won the doubles title in the French Open (1971) and Australian Open (1977).  Ashe was also the first Black male player on the U.S. Davis Cup team, and served as its captain. This photograph was taken at the 1970 Fidelity Bankers Invitational Tennis Tournament in Richmond at the height of Ashe’s tennis career. Virginia Governor Linwood Holton holds the trophy that was presented to Ashe after his victory.

Born in Richmond, Arthur Ashe (1943–1993) grew up in a segregated community. The city's tennis courts were segregated, so he was barred from entry. Ashe found coaches in Richmond and Lynchburg who assisted in his development as a player. Although Ashe found was not allowed to compete in many elite tennis competitions that were open to whites only, his talent did not go unrecognized. After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class, Ashe received a scholarship to play tennis at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he excelled in academics and athletics. Ashe helped his team win a national championship in 1965. After receiving a business degree from UCLA, Ashe served a two-year term of service in the U.S Army  while still competing in professional tennis competitions.

As a well-known civil rights activist, Ashe was clear about his opposition to the apartheid system in South Africa, This system oppressed Black South Africans with laws that created the same kinds of segregation Ashe faced as a Black youth in the South. After his application for a visa to compete in a tournament there was rejected in 1970, he led a campaign to ban white-only teams representing South Africa from international competition. He later started a foundation to train African tennis players and continued to use his prominent role in tennis as a means to make social change.

Heart problems forced Ashe to retire from tennis in 1980 with an overall record (Open era) of 33 titles. In retirement, Ashe focused on humanitarian work. He a sponsored an extensive research project resulting in a three-volume history, A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete.  Ashe's ongoing heart problems, however, necessitated multiple surgeries, including a blood transfusion, which resulted in Ashe contracting the HIV virus that causes AIDS. At the time, AIDS was mischaracterized and misunderstood, and many AIDS patients faced discrminiation. Initially, Ashe kept his diagnosis private. He finally shared his story publicly in 1992 and became an advocate for research and education regarding HIV/AIDS.

Ashe left a legacy not only in world of tennis, but also in the creation of Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health that continues to operate today. He also established the Virginia Heroes program which provides role models and mentors to middle school students in Richmond Public Schools. The United States Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open in New York City, named their main court the Arthur Ashe Stadium. In Richmond, a statue is dedicated to him on Monument Avenue, and a major city thoroughfare was re-named Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

Preview Activity

Look at It: Look at the photograph; what is happening in the image? Why might have this event been important?

Post Activities

Be the Journalist: Imagine you are a journalist interviewing Arthur Ashe when he retired from tennis. What 3 questions would you ask him? Why?

Analyze: Why might Arthur Ashe have separated himself from his ties to Richmond and Virginia for a long period of time? Consider how he was treated in his youth as an aspiring tennis player and what he had to go through to achieve his goal.

Current Connections: Is there a current athlete who you would identify as having broken down barriers in a similar way? If so, describe him or her.