History of Arthur Ashe in Timeline
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.
4 hours ago : Arthur Ashe's Wimbledon Victory: Inspiring Athletes and Breaking Barriers for 50 Years
Arthur Ashe's historic Wimbledon win 50 years ago continues to inspire. His impact extended beyond tennis, challenging apartheid in South Africa and advocating for equality. Ashe's legacy as a champion and social activist endures.
July 10, 1943: Arthur Ashe's Birth
On July 10, 1943, Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was born in Richmond, Virginia. He became a celebrated American professional tennis player.
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.
March 1950: Death of Mattie Cordell Cunningham Ashe
In March 1950, Arthur Ashe's mother, Mattie, died from complications related to a toxemic pregnancy at the age of 27, when Ashe was 6 years old.
1953: Coaching by Robert Walter Johnson
In 1953, Arthur Ashe began being coached and mentored by Robert Walter Johnson at his tennis summer camp home in Lynchburg, Virginia. Ashe was aged 10 at the time.
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.
1960: Continued Coaching by Robert Walter Johnson
In 1960, Arthur Ashe continued being coached and mentored by Robert Walter Johnson at his tennis summer camp home in Lynchburg, Virginia. This mentorship began in 1953 when Ashe was 10.
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.
August 4, 1966: Joined United States Army
On August 4, 1966, Arthur Ashe joined the United States Army after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
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.
February 23, 1968: Promotion to 1st Lieutenant
On February 23, 1968, Arthur Ashe was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army.
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.
February 22, 1969: Honorable Discharge from the Army
On February 22, 1969, Arthur Ashe was honorably discharged from the Army as a 1st Lieutenant and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
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.
March 1970: South Africa Expelled from Davis Cup
In March 1970, triggered by South Africa's refusal to grant Arthur Ashe a visa, the country was expelled from the Davis Cup competition for its racial policy.
March 1971: Australian Open Final Loss
In March 1971, Arthur Ashe reached the final of the Australian Open again but lost to Ken Rosewall.
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.
1974: ATP Lawsuit
Leading up to the 1975 Wimbledon final, Jimmy Connors was suing the ATP, with Arthur Ashe as its president, for $10 million for alleged restraint of trade after opposition from the ATP and French officials meant he was refused entry to the 1974 French Open as a contracted member of World Team Tennis (WTT).
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.
October 1976: Ashe meets Jeanne Moutoussamy
In October 1976, Arthur Ashe met photographer and graphic artist Jeanne Moutoussamy at a United Negro College Fund benefit.
January 1977: Ashe wins Australian Open doubles
In January 1977, Arthur Ashe won the Australian Open doubles title with Tony Roche.
February 20, 1977: Ashe marries Jeanne Moutoussamy
On February 20, 1977, Arthur Ashe married Jeanne Moutoussamy in a ceremony officiated by Andrew Young at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City.
1977: Andrew Young officiated Ashe's wedding
In 1977, Andrew Young officiated Arthur Ashe's wedding to Jeanne Moutoussamy.
1977: Support for Boycott of South African Players
In 1977, Arthur Ashe supported the boycott of South African players after he had tried to purchase tickets for some young Africans for a tennis match in South Africa, and was told to use an "Africans only" counter. He also called for South Africa to be expelled from the professional tennis circuit and Davis Cup competition.
1977: Australian Open was held twice
In 1977, The Australian Open was held twice, in January and December.
July 1979: Ashe Suffers Heart Attack
In July 1979, at the age of 36, Arthur Ashe suffered a heart attack while holding a tennis clinic in New York. This drew attention to the hereditary aspect of heart disease.
December 13, 1979: Ashe Undergoes Quadruple Bypass Surgery
On December 13, 1979, Arthur Ashe underwent a quadruple bypass operation, performed by John Hutchinson, to address severe arterial blockage.
December 1979: Ashe undergoes heart surgery
In December 1979, Arthur Ashe underwent quadruple bypass surgery after cardiac catheterization revealed significant arterial blockage.
1979: Kramer Ranks Ashe Among Best Players
In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer ranked Arthur Ashe as one of the 21 best tennis players of all time.
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: HIV Acquisition
In 1983, Arthur Ashe is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion during heart bypass surgery.
1983: Ashe undergoes second heart surgery
In 1983, Arthur Ashe underwent a second round of heart surgery to correct a previous bypass surgery and later became the national campaign chairman for the American Heart Association.
1983: Yannick Noah Wins French Open
In 1983, Yannick Noah won the French Open.
January 11, 1985: Ashe arrested at anti-apartheid protest
On January 11, 1985, Arthur Ashe was arrested for protesting outside the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, D.C., during an anti-apartheid rally.
1985: Ashe inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame
In 1985, Arthur Ashe was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
December 1986: Ashe and Moutoussamy Adopt Daughter
In December 1986, Arthur Ashe and Jeanne Moutoussamy adopted a daughter, naming her Camera.
September 1988: Ashe Hospitalized and Diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis and HIV
In September 1988, Arthur Ashe was hospitalized after experiencing paralysis in his right arm and was diagnosed with toxoplasmosis. Subsequent testing revealed he was HIV-positive, believed to be from blood transfusions during his second heart surgery.
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.
1989: Death of Arthur Ashe Sr.
In 1989, Arthur Ashe's father, Arthur Ashe Sr., passed away.
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.
September 1992: Ashe suffers mild heart attack
In September 1992, Arthur Ashe suffered a mild heart attack.
September 18, 1992: Ashe arrested protesting treatment of Haitian refugees
On September 18, 1992, Arthur Ashe was arrested outside the White House while protesting with TransAfrica against the recent crackdown on Haitian refugees.
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.
February 6, 1993: Arthur Ashe's Death
On February 6, 1993, Arthur Ashe died at the age of 49 from AIDS-related pneumonia.
February 12, 1993: Memorial Service for Ashe Held in Manhattan
On February 12, 1993, a memorial service for Arthur Ashe was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
June 20, 1993: Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom
On June 20, 1993, Arthur Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President Bill Clinton.
Mentioned in this timeline
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