Arthur Ashe Biography

Arthur Ashe, Jr. was one of the most prominent tennis players of his time, ranked among the best players to have ever graced the game. An African American, he was the first black to be ranked No.1 in the world. He started playing tennis from the age of six and received coaching from the legendary Robert Walter Johnson who founded the American Tennis Association Junior Development Program for African American youths. After graduating from high school, he earned a tennis scholarship to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was the first African American to be selected to play for United States Davis Cup Team. He also became the first black to win the United States Amateur Championship. He went on to win many more titles over the next few years and created several new world records. Unfortunately, health issues forced him to take an early retirement but still he was not disheartened. He used his celebrity status to campaign for various social causes, notably the fight against apartheid. He contracted HIV from a blood transfusion and started educating people about HIV and AIDS in spite of his own struggles with the condition. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS shortly before his death.