Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe, winning the 1975 ABN World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam
Country (sports) United States
Born(1943-07-10)July 10, 1943
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
DiedFebruary 6, 1993(1993-02-06) (aged 49)
New York, New York, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro1969 (amateur tour from 1959)
Retired1980
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,584,909 (ATP)
Int. Tennis HoF1985 (member page)
Singles
Career record1188–371 in pre Open-Era & Open Era[1]
Career titles76 [1] (44 open era titles listed by ATP)
Highest rankingNo. 2 (May 10, 1976)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1970)
French OpenQF (1970, 1971)
WimbledonW (1975)
US OpenW (1968)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsF (1978)
WCT FinalsW (1975)
Doubles
Career record323–176[a]
Career titles18 (14 Grand Prix and WCT titles)
Highest rankingNo. 15 (August 30, 1977)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1977)
French OpenW (1971)
WimbledonF (1971)
US OpenF (1968)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1963, 1968, 1969, 1970)

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player. He won three Grand Slam titles in singles and two in doubles. Ashe was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team, and the only black man ever to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He retired in 1980.

Ashe was ranked world No. 1 by Rex Bellamy,[3] Bud Collins,[4] Judith Elian,[5] Lance Tingay,[6] World Tennis[7] and Tennis Magazine (U.S.)[8] in 1975. That year, Ashe was awarded the 'Martini and Rossi' Award, voted for by a panel of journalists,[9] and the ATP Player of the Year award. In the ATP computer rankings, he peaked at No. 2 in May 1976.[10]

Ashe is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery in 1983. He publicly announced his illness in April 1992, and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 49 on February 6, 1993. On June 20, 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President Bill Clinton. Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main court for the US Open and the largest tennis arena in the world, is named in his honor.

Ashe playing against Dennis Ralston at the 1964 Southern California Intercollegiates.
  1. ^ a b "Arthur Ashe: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  2. ^ "Aurthur Ashe bio at ESPN". Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  3. ^ The Times (London), December 30, 1975, p.6
  4. ^ Collins & Hollander (1997), p. 651
  5. ^ Quidet, Christian (1989). La Fabuleuse Histoire du Tennis (in French). Paris: Nathan. p. 772. ISBN 9782092864388.
  6. ^ Barrett, John, ed. (1990). World Of Tennis. London: Collins Willow. pp. 235–237. ISBN 9780002183550.
  7. ^ "Ashe replaces Connor in magazine rankings". The Morning Call. December 9, 1975. p. 38.
  8. ^ "Rankings Dept". The Journal Herald. January 16, 1976. p. 18.
  9. ^ "Times Tribune (Scranton), 8 February 1976". newspapers.com. February 8, 1976.
  10. ^ "Arthur Ashe | Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Retrieved June 12, 2019.


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