Arthur Ashe

By Chad Klassen
Love of Sports Correspondent

There’s no wonder why the greatest players in tennis congregate this time every year and play at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York for the U.S. Open title.

This was a man who not only broke down color barriers in the sport, but reminisent of other black athletes who came before him, like Jackie Robinson (who was fittingly Ashe’s childhood hero growing up), his success on the court transformed parts of American society and made some people question the status quo.

His victory at the 1968 U.S. Open was arguably the most profound moment in tennis history. Forget the greats like Connors and McEnroe, Sampras and Agassi, and now Federer and Nadal; it was Ashe’s presence and influence that turned the sport into what it has become today – racially, at least.

Remember that more than any other sport, the history of tennis had, and still does to some extent, have a longstanding culture of being a predominantly white and elitist sport that excluded blacks and other players of color.

But Ashe changed all that with his unprecedented major win in 1968 at Flushing Meadows. He shocked the New York crowd, and the rest of the tennis world, as an amateur when he beat “The Flying Dutchman,” Tom Okker, in five sets to make history as the first African American to win the U.S. Open.

With his first major title – as an amateur no less – Ashe jumped into the #1 seed in the world, a top rank he held through 1968 before losing it, then reclaiming it in 1975.

More importantly, though, like Robinson in baseball, he played the sport he loved so much in a hostile environment amidst booing and taunting from the white onlookers.

Ashe displayed the courage necessary to fight through all the horrific racism from the crowd and media, yet still come out on the other end winning 33 career tournaments, including three majors.

It’s the sole reason why the ESPY Awards annually presents the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, shining light on athletes who transcend their sport beyond the field of play.

After all, it was his courage that allowed him to post those 33 wins and inspire black children to pick up a racket and play tennis, something that was once frowned upon among the white community. It’s one thing Tiger Woods has done since he won the 1997 Masters, and Ashe’s on-court heroics did similar wonders with his historic U.S. Open victory.

The emergence of players like James Blake on the men’s side and, of course, the Williams sisters on the women’s side is basically all thanks to Ashe’s contributions to the game during his 11-year tennis career.

Following his retirement in 1980, Ashe suffered from heart complications and required two heart surgeries as a result. During a blood transfusion during one of those procedures, he eventually acquired HIV. In 1993, after five years of struggling with the disease, he tragically passed away due to complications.

His dignity and humanity as a tennis player and civilian striving to make the world better will live on forever. So, here’s some Old School Love to one of the most influential tennis players ever to grace the court, Mr. Arthur Ashe.