Ashe, Arthur
1943-1993 · Contribution: 1968-1975
Tennis player and activist
First Black man to win the U.S. Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon men's singles titles
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1943, Richmond, Virginia
- Active since
- 1963
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- First Black man to win Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open
Impact on the world
Ashe broke the color barrier in men's tennis and used his platform for causes from anti-apartheid activism to AIDS awareness, redefining what an athlete's public life could be.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
Washington University Black Champions collection
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1927-2003
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Garrison, Zina
1963-
Bridged the generational gap between Althea Gibson and Venus and Serena Williams in Black women's tennis
Washington, MaliVai
1969-
Most recent African American man to reach a Wimbledon singles final
Williams, Venus
1980-
First Black man or woman to hold the world No. 1 tennis ranking since the ATP and WTA rankings began; most decorated tennis player in Olympic history