Arthur Ashe, A Life Of Firsts
American icon Arthur Ashe—the Jackie Robinson of men’s tennis—was a pioneering athlete who, after breaking the color barrier, went on to become an influential civil rights activist and public intellectual. He became the first African American to play for the US Davis Cup team in 1963, and two years later he won the NCAA singles championship. In 1968, he won both the US Amateur title and the first US Open title, rising to a number one national ranking. Turning professional in 1969, he soon became one of the world’s most successful tennis stars, winning the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1975. After retiring in 1980, he served four years as the US Davis Cup captain and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.
