A champion receives much more than just a trophy, a medal or money upon victory. Just look at tennis legend Arthur Ashe. He was the first black player to win singles titles at the US Open, the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
And what was Ashe’s prize? It was a chance to use his voice to make a difference in the world. Due to this, Ashe is often remembered in two ways: as a history-making athlete and as a devout activist.
This duality is best captured when Ashe won the US Open in 1968. At the age 25 it was his biggest achievement to date – but it marked much more than the start of a life filled with fame and glory. When asked by his brother about his victory, Ashe responded:
“I’m a champion now. And when I speak people will listen.”
There perhaps isn’t a better quote to sum up the kind of man he was.
You really have to go back to the start to understand exactly why Ashe found it so important to become a man who would be heard when he spoke. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1943, Ashe’s childhood was marred by loss and limitations. The most prominent of which happened when his mother, Mattie, sadly passed away when he was just six.
Ashe’s father, also named Arthur, would soon after encourage his son to take up sports. A young Ashe quickly discovered he had a talent for tennis at the age of seven, but his early experiences with the sport only highlighted the glaring inequality that he faced due to the colour of his skin.
This manifested in many ways – from not being able to play on white-only courts to being excluded from competing in certain tournaments.
In 1987, Ashe would reflect upon how his childhood was full of occasions when he was forced to face the brunt of the racial inequality that was rampant throughout the South. This includes a specific instance in which he was turned away from competing in a tennis tournament at the age of 12.
He told the LA Times:
“The people knew who I was because I had built a reputation. But they said that I couldn’t play in the tournament because I was black.”
Ashe wasn’t going to allow these obstacles to stand in his way of glory – nor would he allow himself to keep being ignored in such a way. He began to be coached by Robert Walter Johnson and in 1958 became the first African American to play in the Maryland Boys’ Championships.
This marked Ashe’s first integrated tennis tournament, in the process breaking through the colour barrier he’d experienced up until that point.
Ashe was able to compete more freely after he moved from Richmond to St. Louis, Missouri. This move would eventually fast-track him to winning the National Junior Indoor tennis title, before landing him a scholarship at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1963.
It was from this point where Ashe was able to make a name for himself nationally. This wave of momentum carried him all the way to the US Open in 1968 – giving him the opportunity to become the first black man to win the singles championship. As mentioned, first place was about much more than just victory.
The mere fact that Ashe was competing at such a high calibre level made him a man with whom the black community could look upon for inspiration and motivation. This was arguably best evidenced when civil rights activist Martin Luther King wrote Ashe a letter acknowledging his contributions to improving racial equality.
Just months before his death, Dr. King wrote: “Your eminence in the world of sports and athletics gives you an added measure of authority and responsibility. It is heartening indeed when you bring these attributes to the movement.”
It’s fair to say that Ashe used this ‘measure of authority’ to make a difference, particularly in terms of civil and human rights. It was the start of a career in which tennis and activism went hand in hand for him – ultimately illuminating the character that he’s still remembered for to this day.
Shortly after winning the US Open, Ashe made his intentions known during an interview on PBS News Hour. He said:
“There are other athletes and other black leaders who are using their positions of power and influence to will some practical progress so it’s just simply saying to myself, Arthur you must do something. You just cannot sit by and let the world go by.”
Ashe still managed to make tennis history even as he became increasingly involved in activism. First of all, he won the Australian Open in 1970. This marked his second Grand Slam win, again making him the first black tennis player to achieve this amazing feat.
There was still one more accolade left to accomplish: Wimbledon. Regarded by many to be the most prestigious tournament in the world, Ashe took the top prize in 1975. There was no stopping him from this point; he’d earned his right to speak out and people were finally listening.
Ashe would retire from professional competition in 1980, but perhaps the most important work of his life was still yet to be carried out. In 1992 he announced that he had contracted AIDS. There was a huge stigma attached to the disease at the time, which Ashe immediately set out to dismantle.
The last years of his life were spent educating others and making the world a better place for those who would follow. Most notably, he set up the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. Ashe sadly passed away at the age of 49 in 1993.
The fact that Ashe’s name is still being mentioned signifies just how successful he was in his life. Yes, he’ll always be part of the history books due to his three Grand Slam singles titles. However – perhaps just as importantly – he’ll also be remembered as a humanitarian.