Arthur Ashe + a Fun Fact!
Today on our social media accounts we shared a quote from tennis legend Arthur Ashe. If you haven’t heard of Ashe, you have almost certainly heard this quote:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
The quote is written on the outside of the Arthur Ashe stadium, the main court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY, an important reminder to tennis players and spectators alike. But Arthur Ashe is so much more than the speaker of great quotes.
Our amazing owner and trainer Lisa Priestly has her own story about Ashe - she actually met him in the 80’s! Lisa met Ashe at an alumni event at Spelman College, which they both attended. They chatted briefly, and Lisa mentioned they share a relative with the last name Cunningham. Ashe agreed they could be related. How cool is that?
Arthur Ashe was the first (and in fact remains the only) African American to win both Wimbledon (1975) and the US Open (1968) and reach the world number one ranking in professional tennis. He was also the first African American man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. He helped found the Association of Men’s Tennis Professionals (now known as the ATP).
While Arthur Ashe has the distinction of being the first African American man to win a Slam, he would not want it to go unmentioned that the first African American person to win a tennis championship was Althea Gibson, who won the French Championships (today known as the French Open) in 1956. Gibson is an impressive athlete and person who we promise is worth your time to research.
As one of the only African American players in a white-dominated sport, Ashe became an activist and worked hard throughout his life to promote tennis programs for inner-city youth. He also took a stand against apartheid in South Africa, eventually being granted a visa so he could play tennis there.
Ashe struggled with health issues, particularly in the second half of his life. During his second open heart surgery in 1983, Ashe contracted AIDS through a tainted blood transfusion. After the diagnosis, he became an outspoken activist raising awareness about the AIDS epidemic. He spoke in front of the United Nations and helped establish a fundraising foundation that raised over $5 million to fight AIDS.
With a tennis stadium aptly named in his honor, Arthur Ashe will not be forgotten. But we must remember his story and everything for which he stood, not just his name.