Career Timeline of Arthur Ashe: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Arthur Ashe made an impact.

Arthur Ashe was a highly accomplished American professional tennis player. He secured three Grand Slam singles titles and two in doubles. Notably, Ashe broke barriers as the first Black player chosen for the United States Davis Cup team. His achievements also include being the only Black man to ever win the singles championships at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. Ashe's impactful career concluded with his retirement in 1980.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1947: First All-American Wimbledon Final Since 1947

On July 5, 1975, in the first all-American Wimbledon final since 1947, Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon at his ninth attempt, defeating Jimmy Connors.

1958: First Integrated Tennis Competition

In 1958, Arthur Ashe became the first African American to play in the Maryland boys' championships. It was also his first integrated tennis competition.

1959: First non-Australian Australian Open Win

In January 1970, Arthur Ashe became the first non-Australian to win the title since 1959.

December 1960: Featured in Sports Illustrated

In December 1960, Arthur Ashe was featured in Sports Illustrated, appearing in their Faces in the Crowd segment.

1961: U.S. Interscholastic Tournament Win

In 1961, Arthur Ashe was granted permission to compete in the previously segregated U.S. Interscholastic tournament and won it for Sumner High School.

1961: Wins Eastern Clay Court Championships

In 1961, Arthur Ashe won the Eastern Clay Court Championships by defeating George Ball and Bob Barker in close five set matches in the semifinal and final.

1963: Selection to United States Davis Cup Team

In 1963, Arthur Ashe became the first black player ever selected for the United States Davis Cup team.

1963: Tennis Scholarship to UCLA

In 1963, Arthur Ashe was awarded a tennis scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

1963: Featured in Sports Illustrated

In 1963, Arthur Ashe was featured again in Sports Illustrated, appearing in their Faces in the Crowd segment.

1963: Wins Pacific Southwest Championships

In 1963, Arthur Ashe won the Pacific Southwest Championships in Los Angeles on concrete by defeating Rafael Osuna and Whitney Reed in the final two rounds.

1964: Wins Eastern Grass Court Championships

In 1964, Arthur Ashe won the Eastern Grass Court Championships at South Orange, New Jersey by defeating Dennis Ralston, Gene Scott, and Clark Graebner in close matches.

1965: NCAA Titles

In 1965, Arthur Ashe won both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) singles title and the doubles title (with Ian Crookenden), helping UCLA win the NCAA team tennis championship.

1966: Australian Championship Final

In 1966, Arthur Ashe reached the final of the Australian Championship but lost to Roy Emerson.

1967: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships Win

In 1967, Arthur Ashe won the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Milwaukee defeating Marty Riessen in the final.

December 1968: Davis Cup Victory

In December 1968, Arthur Ashe helped the U.S. team become Davis Cup champions after victory in the final in Adelaide against defending champions, Australia.

1968: Ashe leads United States to Davis Cup victory

In 1968, Arthur Ashe led the United States to victory in the Davis Cup, the first of three consecutive years of U.S. victories (1968-70).

1968: United States Amateur Championships and US Open Win

In 1968, Arthur Ashe won the United States Amateur Championships against Bob Lutz, and the first US Open of the open era, becoming the first black male to capture the title.

September 1969: Davis Cup Victory and Visa Denial

In September 1969, the U.S. Davis Cup team retained the cup, beating Romania in the final challenge round, with Arthur Ashe winning both his singles matches. Also in September 1969, Ashe applied for a visa to play in the South African Open but was denied due to apartheid.

January 1970: Australian Open Win

In January 1970, Arthur Ashe won his second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Dick Crealy in the final.

September 1970: Davis Cup Victory and Turning Professional

In September 1970, Arthur Ashe helped the U.S. Davis cup team defeat West Germany to win their third consecutive Davis Cup. Subsequently, Ashe turned professional, signing a five-year contract with Lamar Hunt's World Championship Tennis.

March 1971: Australian Open Final Loss

In March 1971, Arthur Ashe reached the final of the Australian Open again but lost to Ken Rosewall.

March 1972: Connors' Boycott of Davis Cup

In March 1972, Connors boycotted the Davis Cup competition after Davis Cup captain Dennis Ralston left him out of the team against the West Indies in Jamaica, leading to criticism from Arthur Ashe.

1972: Barred from ILTF Grand Prix Tournaments

In 1972, Arthur Ashe, as a WCT player, was barred from ILTF Grand Prix tennis circuit tournaments from January to July, preventing him from playing at the French Open and Wimbledon.

June 1973: Wimbledon Boycott

In June 1973, Arthur Ashe was one of 81 players who withdrew from the Wimbledon tournament due to an ATP boycott in response to the suspension of Niki Pilić.

November 1973: Granted Visa for South African Open

In November 1973, Arthur Ashe was granted a visa to enter South Africa for the first time to play in the South African Open. He lost in the final to Jimmy Connors but won the doubles.

1974: South African Open Final Loss

In 1974, Arthur Ashe reached the singles final again in the South African Open, losing to Jimmy Connors for the second consecutive year.

1974: Support for Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)

In 1974, Arthur Ashe supported the founding of the Association of Tennis Professionals to protect players. He later became its president.

May 1975: WCT Finals Win

In May 1975, Arthur Ashe beat Björn Borg to win the season-ending championship WCT Finals in Dallas.

July 5, 1975: Wimbledon Victory

On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon at his ninth attempt, defeating Jimmy Connors in the final.

1975: Arthur Ashe Wins Wimbledon and Connors Drops Libel Suit

In 1975, Arthur Ashe symbolically wore red, white, and blue wristbands and a U.S.-emblazoned Davis Cup warm-up jacket while winning Wimbledon and receiving a £10,000 winner's check (equivalent to US$23,000). Shortly after, Connors dropped his libel suit against Ashe.

1975: World No. 1 Ranking and Awards

In 1975, Arthur Ashe was ranked world No. 1 by multiple sources. He was also awarded the 'Martini and Rossi' Award and the ATP Player of the Year award that year.

May 1976: ATP Computer Ranking Peak

In May 1976, Arthur Ashe peaked at world No. 2 in the ATP computer rankings.

January 1977: Ashe wins Australian Open doubles

In January 1977, Arthur Ashe won the Australian Open doubles title with Tony Roche.

1977: Australian Open was held twice

In 1977, The Australian Open was held twice, in January and December.

April 16, 1980: Ashe officially retires from tennis

On April 16, 1980, at the age of 36, Arthur Ashe officially retired from professional tennis after having heart surgery in December 1979. His career record was 818 wins, 260 losses, and 51 titles.

1980: Arthur Ashe's Retirement

In 1980, Arthur Ashe retired from professional tennis.

1981: Ashe becomes U.S. Davis Cup team captain

In 1981, Arthur Ashe became the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, a role he held until 1985.

1982: Ashe co-founds Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid

In 1982, Arthur Ashe joined Harry Belafonte to form the group Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid, which advocated for a cultural boycott of South Africa.

1983: Yannick Noah Wins French Open

In 1983, Yannick Noah won the French Open.

1988: Ashe publishes "A Hard Road to Glory"

In 1988, Arthur Ashe published his three-volume book, "A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete," which he considered more important than any of his tennis titles.

A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete 1619-1918

Check it on Amazon

1991: Ashe visits South Africa with prominent African Americans

In 1991, Arthur Ashe joined Quincy Jones and 30 other prominent African Americans on a visit to South Africa to observe the country's political changes towards racial integration.

April 1992: Public Announcement of HIV Illness

In April 1992, Arthur Ashe publicly announced that he had HIV and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS.

December 1, 1992: Ashe Addresses the United Nations on World AIDS Day

On World AIDS Day, December 1, 1992, Arthur Ashe addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He spoke about the growing need for AIDS awareness and increased research funding.