Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe was an international tennis player of American descent. He was born on July 10, 1943, in Richmond, Virginia. No colored person had played for the U. S. before him. His parent's names are Cunningham Ashe and Mattie Cordell. He also has a younger brother. Unfortunately, in 1950, his mother died due to pre-eclampsia. His father raised him and his sibling, single-handedly. He encouraged both his children to follow their dream. Initially, Andre wanted to play football, but his father advised against it due to his skinny built. He first held the tennis racket in his hands at the age of seven and commenced practicing at nearby courts. A student from Virginia Union University and Ron Charity, a trainer at Brookfield, spotted him and started teaching him.

He was the student at Maggie L. Walker High School. Ron introduced Andre to Robert Walter Johnson who financed his Junior Development Program. Walter played a crucial role in his life since he taught him not only the skills and techniques of tennis but also the etiquettes and manners that a sportsperson should display. He played the United States Davis Cup team in 1963. Within two years, he became the number three player in his country and won several national competitions. He continued his winning streak on the international level as well. In singles, he had three Grand Slam titles under his belt and was a three-time runner up too. His wife's name is Jeanne Moutoussamy, and together they adopted a girl child called Camera. Owing to his health issues, he had to retire at the age of thirty-six.

After retirement, he worked for The Washington Post, ABC Sports, and Time as a writer and commentator. He is the author of A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete. Later, it became a public news that he was suffering from AIDS. His illness sensitized him towards the other unfortunate patients, and so he founded Arthur Ashe Foundation, which debunked the myths surrounding it and educated everyone about it. He died on February 6, 1993, at the age of forty-three in New York Hospital. Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame, and International Tennis Hall of Fame has included his name in their hall. He also won an Emmy for writing A Hard Road to Glory, a documentary. Bill Clinton, then president of the U.S., awarded him Presidential Medal of Freedom after his death.