Arthur Ashe, a former world No. 1 tennis player and humanitarian, was born July 10, 1943, in Richmond, Virginia.
Ashe began his tennis career on the courts of his hometown. After graduating from high school, he honed his skills with a tennis scholarship at the University of California, Los Angeles. He rose to national attention in 1965 when he won the NCAA singles and doubles championships, and helped lead UCLA to the team title.
A trailblazing tennis champion, Ashe broke barriers as the first Black man to win the U.S. Open (1968), Australian Open (1970) and Wimbledon (1975).
His legacy extends far beyond the court. Ashe was a powerful voice for civil rights, global human rights and HIV/AIDS awareness after contracting the virus from a blood transfusion in 1983. In 1992, after his tennis career, Ashe revealed that he was HIV-positive. Known for his dignity, intellect and activism, Ashe used his platform to challenge apartheid in South Africa and advocate for health equity.
Ashe died Feb. 6, 1993, at age 49, but he remains a lasting symbol of excellence and courage in both sports and public life.
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