On July 5, 1975 Arthurs Ashe made history. He became the first African American to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the annual Grand Slam tennis tournament played on grass in London England.
Wimbledon is one of four grand slam tournaments held annually across the world. During his career, Ashe won three of the four once. He won the first U.S. Open of the open era In 1968. In January 1970, Ashe won his second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.
When Ashe won Wimbledon, he was just short of his 32nd birthday and was seeded sixth. In what was his ninth attempt to win the tournament, he defeated the overwhelming favorite and defending champion Jimmy Conners.
The only other Black male to win a grand slam was French player Yannick Noah who won the one slam that evaded Ashe, the French Open, in 1983.
The first Black person to win a grand slam was Althea Gibson who won the French Open in 1956. The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals (precursor of the US Open), then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. In all, she won 11 Grand Slam titles: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title.
Arthur Ashe,was born July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia, died February 6, 1993 in New York, New York. Ashe began to play tennis at the age of seven in a neighbourhood park.
Arthur Ashe was more than a tennis champion, he used his platform to effect change in the lives of others by championing causes like apartheid and, later on in his life, advocating for people with Aids after he contracted the disease after open heart surgery.
