Tennis Legends: Arthur Ashe - A legendary pioneer for racial equality and the fight against AIDS

Arthur Ashe is a true pioneer in the history of tennis. He was the first black player to achieve a number of milestones. The American remains the only black player to win Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. His activism off the court ranks him alongside Billie Jean King for using his platform to accelerate change in society.

Born on the 10th of July 1943, in Richmond, Virginia, to parents Arthur Ashe snr and Mattie Ashe. His mother, through complications in pregnancy, passed away at the age of just 27. Arthur was just six years old. He also had a brother Johnnie.

Ashe initially played in the amateur era, winning the first of 76 singles titles at the 1961 Eastern Clay Court Championships in Hackensack, USA. The American continued to win regular titles in the 1960s and then reached his first Grand Slam final at the 1966 Australian Open, losing to Roy Emerson. He lost in the final to the same opponent the following year.

His maiden Grand Slam triumph would come on home soil at the 1968 US Open. In an epic final, against Tom Okker of the Netherlands, Ashe prevailed in five sets. In a seismic landmark for tennis, Ashe became the first black man to win a Grand Slam singles title. It would be the catalyst for a sustained rise in the upper echelons of elite tennis. 

A second Grand Slam success would materialise in 1970, at the Australian Open, defeating compatriot Dick Crealy in straight sets. This was in the days when the season's opening major was still played on grass. Ashe made just six appearances in Melbourne, reaching the final on four occasions.

1975 proved to be Ashes's greatest year. He accumulated a total of nine titles. The undoubted zenith came in the summer at Wimbledon. Ashe reached the men's singles final against the defending champion Jimmy Connors. At the time, Ashe and Connors were embroiled in litigation action against each other. Relations between the pair were considerably fractious. Connors was suing the ATP, whom had Ashe served as president, over restraint of trade after the pugnacious Connors was refused entry to the 1974 French Open owing to Connors's involvement with World Team Tennis. The legal action expanded when Connors began a case to sue Ashe over comments he'd made over him being unpatriotic over his lack of commitment to the US Davis Cup team.

Going into the final, Ashe had yet to record a victory over Connors. In an effort to provoke him further, Ashe wore the USA Davis Cup team when walking onto Centre Court. Ashe went against his natural game and produced a tactical masterclass against Connors. His four set victory underpinned by nullifying Connors and leaving him flustered through the surprise elements of his gameplan.

The haul of titles Ashe collected in 1975 featured the prestigious WCT Finals (now ATP Tour Finals) after he defeated Bjorn Borg in the final held in Dallas. This ranks as his finest individual success outside the three majors he won. He would go on to finish 1975 as ATP Player of the Year.

Representing the United States of America, Ashe was part of four Davis Cup winning teams. Triumphs in 1963, 1968, 1969 and 1970 established him as an American tennis superstar. Ashe was the first black man to feature for the US team.

A feeling of patriotic service was further instilled in Ashe when he enlisted in the United States Army in 1966. He was stationed with the US Military Academy at West Point where he operated as a data processor. Ashe eventually ascended to 1st Lieutenant and was honorably discharged from the Army in February 1969. He would go on to receive a National Defense Service Medal for his service.

The one Grand Slam that eluded Ashe was the French Open. He made eight appearances at Roland Garros. His best showing were quarter-final appearances in 1970 and 1971.

Following his annus mirabilis of 1975, Ashe never managed to sustain such a prolific rate of success. He added a further eight titles in the next three years, though. The last title of his career, in 1978, came at a tournament in Los Angeles on the now defunct carpet surface. He finished with a singles win/loss record of 1138-371.

Ashe has won two Grand Slam doubles titles. The first of these was clinched at the 1971 French Open alongside compatriot Marty Reissen. They defeated another all-American pairing of Stan Smith and Tom Gorman. The Ashe/Reissen combination prevailing in an epic fifth set, 11-9. Six years had elapsed before Ashe became a multiple Grand Slam doubles champion. At the 1977 Australian Open, playing alongside Aussie favourite Tony Roche, they bested Charlie Pasarell and Erik van Dillen in straight sets.

He also lost in three Grand Slam doubles finals: 1968 Wimbledon (with Andres Gimeno), 1970 French Open (with Pasarell) and 1971 Wimbledon (with Ralston). Ashe embellished his doubles CV with an additional 16 doubles titles at tour level, finishing with a 323/176 win/loss record. His highest doubles ranking was 15.

Ashe retired in 1980. He led a varied and substantive post-tennis life until his tragic early passing. The erudite Statesider used those skills to foster a career in print and broadcast journalism. A role with the Washington Post and Time Magazine soon followed his tennis career. He also worked as a tennis summariser for both ABC and HBO on American television, a role that lasted until a few months before he passed.

A stint as US Davis Cup Captain was an inevitable transition for a player so dedicated to the venerable team competition. A five year stint as captain started with consecutive triumphs in 1981 and 1982. He stepped down after the 1985 edition.

Ashe was a passionate civil rights activist. In conjunction with actor and singer Harry Belafonte, they established a group Artists and Athletes against Apartheid. The group called for a cultural boycott of South Africa. On the 11th of January 1985, Ashe was arrested outside the South African Embassy, Washington D.C during an anti-apartheid rally. He would later travel to South Africa to see tor himself the dissolution of Apartheid and the reintegration of black people into South African society following the release of Nelson Mandela. A year later Ashe was arrested for a second time when protesting outside the White House for their clampdown on refugees from Haiti. 

Ashe eventually revealed to the public he'd been diagnosed as HIV Positive. He quickly founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the defeat of Aids. He wanted to raise awareness of the illness and debunk myths surrounding it. Two months prior to his death, Ashe also established the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. It was introduced to improve defective healthcare delivery. He went onto be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman often Year.

Ashe married photographer and graphic artist Jeanne Moutoussammy in 1977. Their ceremony was officiated by Andrew Young, then the US Ambassador for the United Nations. The couple would go on to adopt a daughter, in 1986, who they named Camera.

Ashe survived a heart attack when 39. His family had a history of heart issues. His mother died at 27 when already experiencing cardiovascular issues. Ashes's dad suffered two heart attacks. Having gone public with his condition of HIV in 1992, triggered by pre-empting USA Today revealing it without his consent, with much criticism of Ashe being forced to reveal his condition. 

On the 6th of February 1993, Ashe died from AIDS-related pneumonia, aged just 49. His funeral would see over 6,000 mourners attend.A memorial service was held six days later. On his own request, he was buried in the same cemetery as his mother in Woodland Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia. 

Rightfully, Ashe has been honoured in several ways. Sporting awards included the 1975 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and a number of ATP awards. He was inducted into the ITF Hall of Fame in 1985. A sports Emmy came his way for his documentary A Hard Road To Glory. An honorary doctorate was bestowed upon him 1991, from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. In 1993, the ATP recognised his passing by creating the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award. Three years later a statue was erected of Ashe on Monument Avenue. Later that year the USTA renamed the main centre court at the US Open after Ashe. More recently in 2019, Arthur Ashe had a boulevard named after him in Virginia. A vast number of honours underlining the impact of a man, like Billie Jean King, left a legacy that transcended tennis.