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{{Short description|American tennis player (1943–1993)}}
{{For|the British Columbia politician|Arthur James Richard Ash}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name                   = Arthur Ashe
|image                  = File:Arthur Ashe (cropped).jpg
|caption                = Arthur Ashe, winning the [[1975 ABN World Tennis Tournament]] in Rotterdam
|country={{flagu|United States}}
|birth_date             = {{birth date|1943|7|10}}
|birth_place            = [[Richmond, Virginia]], US
|death_date             = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1993|2|6|1943|7|10}}
|death_place            = [[New York City|New York, New York]], US
|height                 = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
|turnedpro              = 1969 (amateur tour from 1959)
|retired                = 1980
|plays                  = Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney       = $1,584,909 (ATP)
|tennishofyear          = 1985
|tennishofid            = arthur-ashe
|singlesrecord          = {{tennis record|won=1188|lost=371}} in pre Open-Era & [[Open Era]]<ref name="Arthur Ashe: Career match record">{{cite web|title=Arthur Ashe: Career match record|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=playern&player_input_enc=ASHE%2C+ARTHUR&player_input=ASHE%2C+ARTHUR&sub=2#aSubmenu|website=thetennisbase.com|publisher=Tennis Base|access-date=September 22, 2021}}</ref>
|singlestitles          = 87<ref name="Arthur Ashe: Career match record" /> (44 open era titles listed by ATP)
|highestsinglesranking  = No. 2 (May 10, 1976) 
|AustralianOpenresult   = '''W''' ([[1970 Australian Open – Men's singles|1970]])
|FrenchOpenresult       = QF ([[1970 French Open – Men's singles|1970]], [[1971 French Open – Men's singles|1971]])
|Wimbledonresult        = '''W''' ([[1975 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1975]])
|USOpenresult           = '''W''' ([[1968 US Open – Men's singles|1968]])
| Othertournaments      = yes
| MastersCupresult      = F ([[1978 Colgate-Palmolive Masters – Singles|1978]])
|WCTFinalsresult        = '''W''' ([[1975 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles|1975]])
|doublesrecord          = 323–176{{efn|name=record|In [[Grand Prix tour|Grand Prix]], [[World Championship Tennis|WCT]], [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]]-main draws, and [[Davis Cup]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Ashe_Arthur.html | title=Aurthur Ashe bio at ESPN | access-date=August 6, 2014}}</ref>}}
|doublestitles          = 18 (14 Grand Prix and WCT titles)
|highestdoublesranking  = No. 15 (August 30, 1977)
| AustralianOpenDoublesresult = '''W''' (1977)
| FrenchOpenDoublesresult = '''W''' (1971)
| WimbledonDoublesresult = F (1971)
| USOpenDoublesresult   = F (1968)
| Team                  = yes
| DavisCupresult        = '''W''' ([[1963 Davis Cup|1963]], [[1968 Davis Cup|1968]], [[1969 Davis Cup|1969]], [[1970 Davis Cup|1970]])
}}
'''Arthur Robert Ashe Jr.''' (July 10, 1943&nbsp;– February 6, 1993) was an American professional [[tennis]] player. He won three [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Tournaments|Grand Slam]] titles in singles and two in doubles. Ashe was the first Black player selected to the [[United States Davis Cup team]], and the only Black man ever to win the singles titles at [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]], the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]], and the [[Australian Open]]. He retired in 1980.

Ashe was ranked [[World number 1 ranked male tennis players|world No. 1]] by Rex Bellamy,<ref>The Times (London), December 30, 1975, p.6</ref> Bud Collins,{{sfnp|Collins|Hollander|1997|p=651|ps=}} Judith Elian,<ref name="quidet1989">{{cite book |last1=Quidet |first1=Christian |title=La Fabuleuse Histoire du Tennis |date=1989 |publisher=Nathan |location=Paris |isbn=9782092864388 |page=772 |language=French }}</ref> Lance Tingay,<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|last=|url=https://archive.org/details/worldoftennis1990000unse/|title=World Of Tennis|publisher=Collins Willow|year=1990|isbn=9780002183550|editor-last=Barrett|editor-first=John|editor-link=John Barrett (tennis)|location=London|pages=235–237}}</ref> ''World Tennis<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 9, 1975|title=Ashe replaces Connor in magazine rankings|page=38|work=[[The Morning Call]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/275825449/}}</ref>'' and ''Tennis Magazine'' (U.S.)<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 16, 1976|title=Rankings Dept.|page=18|work=[[The Journal Herald]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/395510092/}}</ref> in 1975. That year, Ashe was awarded the 'Martini and Rossi' Award, voted for by a panel of journalists,<ref>{{cite web|title=Times Tribune (Scranton), 8 February 1976|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/534814576/|website=newspapers.com|date=February 8, 1976 }}</ref> and the [[ATP Player of the Year]] award. In the [[ATP rankings|ATP computer rankings]], he peaked at world No. 2 in May 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atptour.com/en/players/arthur-ashe/a063/overview|title=Arthur Ashe {{!}} Overview {{!}} ATP Tour {{!}} Tennis|website=ATP Tour|access-date=June 12, 2019}}</ref>

Ashe is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion he received during [[heart bypass surgery]] in 1983. He publicly announced his illness in April 1992, and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death from AIDS-related [[pneumonia]] at the age of 49 on February 6, 1993. On June 20, 1993, he was posthumously awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by United States President [[Bill Clinton]]. The [[Arthur Ashe Stadium]], the main court for the US Open and the [[List of tennis stadiums by capacity|largest tennis arena in the world]], is named in his honor.
[[File:Arthur Ashe 1964.jpg|thumb|Ashe playing against Dennis Ralston at the 1964 Southern California Intercollegiates.]]

==Early life, education, and early tennis experience==
Arthur Ashe was born in [[Richmond, Virginia]], to Arthur Ashe Sr. (d. 1989) and Mattie Cordell Cunningham Ashe on July 10, 1943. He had a brother, Johnnie, who was five years younger than him.<ref name="moore">{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1992/12/21/127803/sportsman-of-the-year-the-eternal-example-arthur-ashe-epitomizes-good-works-devotion-to-family-and-unwavering-grace-under-pressure|title=The Eternal Example|last=Moore|first=Kenny|date=December 21, 1992|publisher=sportsillustrated.cnn.com|page=2|access-date=October 31, 2015}}</ref> The brothers were born into the [[Blackwell Family of Virginia]], a family that claimed direct descent from Amar, a [[West African]] woman who was enslaved and brought to America in 1735 aboard a ship called ''The Doddington''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://richmondmagazine.com/news/richmond-history/blackwell-ashe-family-tree/|first=Susan|last=Winiecki|title=Blackwell-Ashe family tree to take root in Richmond|work=The Richmond Magazine|date=February 22, 2019|access-date= April 14, 2020}}</ref> Ashe family members were enslaved by [[Governor of North Carolina|North Carolina Governor]] [[Samuel Ashe (North Carolina governor)|Samuel Ashe]].<ref name=Boyle>{{cite news|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2020/08/02/boyle-column-vance-obelisk-tear-down-re-purpose-it/5548429002/|title=What to do with the Vance obelisk?|last=Boyle|first=John|work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]|date=August 2, 2020|access-date=August 3, 2020}}</ref>

In March 1950, Ashe's mother, Mattie, died from complications related to a toxemic pregnancy (now known as [[pre-eclampsia]]) at the age of 27, when Ashe was 6.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ashe|first1=Arthur |last2=Rampersad|first2=Arnold |title=Days of Grace|year=1994|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=0-345-38681-7|page=58}}</ref> Ashe and his brother were raised by their father, who worked as a handyman and salaried caretaker/Special Policeman for Richmond's recreation department.<ref name="moore" />

Ashe Sr. was a caring father and strict disciplinarian who encouraged Ashe to excel both in school and in sports, but forbade him to play [[American football]], a popular game for many boys, due to his son's slight build: supposedly Ashe's childhood nicknames were "Skinny" and "Bones".{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} The Ashes lived in the caretaker's cottage in the grounds of 18-acre Brookfield park, Richmond's largest blacks-only public playground, which had basketball courts, four tennis courts, a pool, and three baseball diamonds. Ashe started playing tennis at seven years of age and began practicing on the courts where his natural talent was spotted by [[Virginia Union University]] student and part-time Brookfield tennis instructor Ron Charity, who as the best black tennis player in Richmond at the time began to teach Ashe the basic strokes and encouraged him to enter local tournaments.

Ashe attended [[Maggie L. Walker High School]] in Richmond, Virginia, where he continued to practice tennis. Ron Charity brought him to the attention of [[Robert Walter Johnson]], a physician, and the coach of [[Althea Gibson]], who founded and funded the Junior Development Program of the [[American Tennis Association]] (ATA). Ashe was coached and mentored by Johnson at his tennis summer-camp home in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]], from 1953 when Ashe was aged 10, until 1960. Johnson helped fine-tune Ashe's game and taught him the importance of [[Socialization|racial socialization]] through [[sportsmanship]], [[etiquette]], and the composure that would later become an Ashe hallmark. He was told to return every ball that landed within two inches of a line and never to argue with an umpire's decision. In 1958, Ashe became the first African-American to play in the Maryland boys' championships. It was also his first integrated tennis competition.

In 1960, Ashe was precluded from competing against White youths in segregated Richmond during the school year, and unable to use the city's indoor courts that were closed to Black players. He accepted an offer from Richard Hudlin, a 62-year-old [[St. Louis]] teacher, tennis coach, and friend of Johnson, to move to St. Louis and spend his senior year attending [[Sumner High School (St. Louis)|Sumner High School]],<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.hFtml?res=9E0CE2DC1331F933A25756C0A964958260 "TRAVEL ADVISORY; Black History in St. Louis"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 10, 1992. Accessed December 11, 2007. "Sumner High School, the first school west of the [[Mississippi]] for Blacks, established in 1875 (among graduates are [[Grace Bumbry]], Arthur Ashe, and [[Tina Turner]])..."</ref> where he could compete more freely. Ashe lived with Hudlin and his family for the year, during which time Hudlin coached and encouraged him to develop the [[serve-and-volley]] game that Ashe's now-stronger physique allowed. Ashe was able to practice at the National Guard Armory indoor courts and in 1961, after lobbying by Johnson, was granted permission to compete in the previously segregated U.S. Interscholastic tournament and won it for the school.

In December 1960 and again in 1963, Ashe was featured in ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', appearing in their [[Faces in the Crowd (Sports Illustrated)|Faces in the Crowd]] segment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/photos/2010/08/24si-cover-history-august-23-29#5|title=SI Cover History: August 23–29|author=Daniel Schwartz/SI|work=SI.com|date=August 24, 2010 }}</ref> He became the first African-American to win the National Junior Indoor tennis title.

== Higher education and military service ==
Ashe was awarded a tennis scholarship to the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) in 1963. During his time at UCLA, he was coached by [[J. D. Morgan]] and practiced regularly with his sporting idol, [[Pancho Gonzales]], who lived nearby and helped hone his game. Ashe was also a member of the [[ROTC]], which required him to enter active military service after graduation in exchange for money for tuition. He was active in other organizations, later pledging the Upsilon chapter of [[Kappa Alpha Psi]] fraternity and becoming a member/brother of the fraternity.

After graduating with a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[Business Administration]], Ashe joined the [[United States Army]] on August 4, 1966. He completed his basic training in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and was later commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] in the Adjutant General Corps. He was assigned to the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point where he worked as a data processor. During his time at West Point, Ashe headed the academy's tennis program. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on February 23, 1968, and was honorably discharged from the Army on February 22, 1969, as a 1st Lieutenant. He was awarded the [[National Defense Service Medal]] for his service.<ref>{{cite book|last=Steins|first=Richard |title=Arthur Ashe: A Biography|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-313-33299-1|pages=22–23}}</ref><ref>''Army Register'', 1969.  Vol. 2, p. 32.</ref>

==Tennis career==
===1960s===
In 1961, Ashe won the [[Eastern Clay Court Championships]] defeating George Ball and Bob Barker in close five set matches in the semifinal and final.

In 1963, Ashe won the [[Pacific Southwest Championships]] in Los Angeles on concrete defeating [[Rafael Osuna]] and [[Whitney Reed]] in the final two rounds. The following season he won the 1964 [[Eastern Grass Court Championships]] at South Orange, New Jersey defeating [[Dennis Ralston]], [[Gene Scott (tennis)|Gene Scott]], and [[Clark Graebner]] in close matches.

In 1963, Ashe became the first black player ever selected for the [[United States Davis Cup team]]. In 1965, ranked the number 3 player in the United States, Ashe won both the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) singles title and the doubles title (with [[Ian Crookenden]] of New Zealand), helping UCLA win the NCAA team tennis championship.

In 1966 and 1967, Ashe reached the final of the Australian Championship but lost on both occasions to [[Roy Emerson]]. He won the 1967 [[U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships]] in Milwaukee defeating [[Marty Riessen]] in the final.

In 1968, Ashe won the [[United States Amateur Championships (tennis)|United States Amateur Championships]] against Davis Cup teammate Bob Lutz. He served 26 aces in the US Open final to beat [[Tom Okker]] in five sets. "I couldn't handle his serve" admitted Okker afterwards.<ref name=":ashe1968usopen">{{cite news|date=9 September 1968|title=Ashe happy with title, even if it's much less money|newspaper=[[The Dispatch]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hnkcAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA11&dq=Ashe%20okker&pg=PA11#v=onepage&q=Ashe%20okker&f=false|accessdate=18 August 2025}}</ref> He became the first [[1968 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] champion of the [[History of tennis#Open Era|open era]], becoming the first black male to capture the title and the only player to have won both the amateur and open national championships in the same year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/arthur-ashe |title=Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. |publisher=TennisFame.com }}</ref> In order to maintain Davis Cup eligibility and have time away from army duty for important tournaments, Ashe was required to maintain his amateur status. Because of this, he could not accept the $14,000 first-prize money, which was instead given to runner-up Okker,<ref name=collins>{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Bud|title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis|year=2010|publisher=New Chapter Press|location=[New York]|isbn=978-0942257700|page=145|edition=2nd}}</ref> while Ashe received just $20 daily expenses for his historic triumph. His ability to compete in the championship (and avoid the Vietnam War) arose from his brother Johnnie's decision to serve an additional tour in Vietnam in Arthur's place.<ref>{{cite web|title=30 for 30 Shorts: 'Arthur & Johnnie'|url=http://grantland.com/features/our-latest-30-30-documentary-short-examines-how-johnnie-love-brother-arthur-changed-their-lives-tennis-history/|publisher=Grantland|date=August 28, 2013}}</ref>

In December 1968, Ashe helped the U.S. team become Davis Cup champions after victory in the final in [[Adelaide]] against defending champions, Australia. His only loss in the 12 Davis Cup tournament singles matches he played that year, was in the last [[dead rubber]] game after the U.S. team had already clinched victory. The season closed with Ashe the winner of 10 of 22 tournaments with a 72–10 win-loss match record.

In September 1969, the U.S. Davis Cup team retained the cup, beating [[Romania]] in the final challenge round, with Ashe winning both his singles matches. The same year, Ashe applied for a visa to play in the [[South African Open (tennis)|South African Open]] but was denied the visa by the South African government who enforced a strict [[apartheid]] policy of racial segregation.

He continued to apply for visas in the following years and the country continued to deny him one. In protest, he used this example of discrimination to campaign for U.S. [[Economic sanctions|sanctions]] against South Africa and the expulsion of the nation from the International Lawn Tennis Federation ([[International Tennis Federation|ILTF]]) but, in defense of the individual South African players, refused the call from activists to forfeit matches against them.

===1970s===
In January 1970, Ashe won his second [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles title at the [[1970 Australian Open|Australian Open]]. With the competition somewhat depleted by the absence of some world-class [[National Tennis League]] (NTL) professional players barred by their league from entering because the financial guarantees were deemed too low, Ashe defeated [[Dick Crealy]] in straight sets in the final (which was played in a light drizzle which caused Ashe's glasses to mist up)<ref name=":crealash1970">{{cite news|date=27 January 1970|title=Arthur Ashe captures Aussie national Open|newspaper=Sarasota Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XU0AAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA10&dq=Crealy%20ashe&pg=PA10#v=onepage&q=Crealy%20ashe&f=false|accessdate=25 August 2025}}</ref> to become the first non-Australian to win the title since 1959.

In March 1970, triggered by South Africa's refusal to grant Ashe a visa to play there, the country was expelled from the Davis Cup competition for its racial policy. In September 1970, Ashe helped the U.S. Davis cup team defeat [[West Germany]] in the challenge round to win their third consecutive Davis Cup. Ashe then turned professional, signing a five-year contract with [[Lamar Hunt]]'s [[World Championship Tennis]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ashe signs 5-year professional contract|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4NhFAAAAIBAJ&dq=lamar%20hunt%20tennis&pg=6071%2C4381773|newspaper=The Telegraph-Herald|date=September 16, 1970}}</ref>

In March 1971, Ashe reached the final of the Australian Open again but lost in straight sets to [[Ken Rosewall]]. In June that year, Ashe won the [[French Open]] men's doubles with partner [[Marty Riessen]].

In 1972, due to a dispute between the [[International Tennis Federation|ILTF]] and the WCT, Ashe, as one of the 32 contracted WCT players, was barred from taking part in any ILTF [[Grand Prix tennis circuit]] tournaments from January to July. This ban meant Ashe was unable to play at the French Open and [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] [[Grand Slam (Tennis)|Grand Slam]] tournaments.

In September, Ashe reached the final of the US Open for the second time. After leading his opponent, [[Ilie Năstase]] by 2 sets to 1 and 4–2 in the fourth set, he eventually lost in five sets.<ref name=":nastase1972us">{{cite news|date=11 September 1972|title=Nastase tops Ashe to win U. S. net title|newspaper=The Morning Record|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LL5HAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA7&dq=Nastase%20ashe&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q=Nastase%20ashe&f=false|accessdate=18 August 2025}}</ref> The loss from such a winning position was the biggest disappointment of Ashe's professional tennis career. At the post-match award ceremony, irritated by some of Năstase's on-court antics during the game, Ashe praised Năstase as a tough opponent and 'colourful' player, then suggested, "... and when he brushes up on some of his court manners, he is going to be even better".

At this tournament, concerned that men's tennis professionals were not receiving winnings commensurate with the sport's growing popularity and to protect players from promoters and associations, Ashe supported the founding of the [[Association of Tennis Professionals]]. He went on to become its elected president in 1974.

In June 1973, as a result of an ATP boycott, Ashe was one of 13 seeded players and 81 players in total who withdrew from the [[1973 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|Wimbledon]] tournament to much public criticism. The catalyst for the boycott was that [[Yugoslavia]]n ATP member [[Nikola Pilić|Niki Pilić]] had been suspended for nine months by his tennis federation after allegedly refusing to represent them in a Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in May, something Pilić denied.

The ban was upheld by the ILTF though they reduced it to just one month. The ATP contested the ban but lost a lawsuit to force Pilić's participation at Wimbledon during the ban period. As a member of the ATP board, Ashe voted to boycott the tournament, a vote that was only narrowly passed when ATP chairman, [[Cliff Drysdale]] abstained. Commentators considered that the boycott demonstrated the power of the fledgling ATP, and showed the tennis associations that professional players could no longer be dictated to.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Kamakshi Tandon|title=It all changed in 1973 for the ATP|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/wimbledon13/story/_/id/9436082/wimbledon-tandon-all-changed-1973|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=ESPN|date=July 1, 2013}}</ref>

In November 1973, with the South African government seeking to end their [[Apartheid-era South Africa and the Olympics|Olympic ban]] and re-join the Olympic movement, Ashe was finally granted a visa to enter the country for the first time, to play in the South African Open. He lost in the final to [[Jimmy Connors]], but won the doubles with partner Tom Okker.

Despite boycotts against South African sport, Ashe believed that his presence could help break down stereotypes and that by competing and winning the tournament, it would stand as an example of the result of integration, and help bring about change in apartheid South Africa. He reached the singles final again in 1974, losing in straight sets to Connors for the second consecutive year.

In 1977, Ashe addressed a small crowd of boycott supporters at the U.S. Open and admitted that he had been wrong to participate in South Africa and once again supported the boycott of South African players after he had tried to purchase tickets for some young Africans for a tennis match in South Africa, and was told to use an "Africans only" counter.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Richard E. Lapchick|title=A legacy of change and hope|url=https://assets.espn.go.com/tennis/columns/misc/1503082.html|publisher=ESPN}}</ref> In the media, Ashe called for South Africa to be expelled from the professional tennis circuit and Davis Cup competition.

In May 1975, Ashe beat [[Björn Borg]] to win the season-ending championship [[WCT Finals]] in [[Dallas]].  On July 5, 1975, in the first all-American Wimbledon final since 1947, Ashe, seeded sixth and just a few days short of his 32nd birthday, won [[1975 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|Wimbledon]] at his ninth attempt, defeating the overwhelming favorite and defending champion, Jimmy Connors.

Ashe had never beaten Connors in any of their previous encounters and Connors had not dropped a set in any of the six earlier rounds, but Ashe played an almost perfect game of tactical tennis to win in four sets.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ashe Wins Wimbledon Crown|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sIYsAAAAIBAJ&pg=5680%2C791502|work=Herald-Journal|agency=AP|date=July 6, 1975}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Fred Tupper|title=Ashe Thrashes Connors For Wimbledon Title|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=37wqAAAAIBAJ&pg=6619%2C2196671|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|publisher=N.Y. Times|date=July 6, 1975}}</ref> In the lead-up to the final, the two players' relationship was already strained. Connors was suing the ATP, with Ashe as its president, for $10 million for alleged [[restraint of trade]] after opposition from the ATP and French officials meant he was refused entry to the 1974 French Open as a contracted member of [[World Team Tennis]] (WTT).

Just two days before the start of the Wimbledon tournament, it had been announced that Connors was now suing Ashe for $5 million for comments in a letter Ashe had written to ATP members in his role as president, criticizing Connors' insistence that Davis Cup captain [[Dennis Ralston]] should be fired and Connors' "unpatriotic" boycott of the competition which had started after Ralston left him out of the team against the [[Caribbean/West Indies Davis Cup team|West Indies]] in Jamaica in March 1972.

On the final day, Ashe pointedly and symbolically wore red, white and blue wristbands throughout the match and wore his U.S.-emblazoned Davis Cup warm-up jacket when walking out onto [[Centre Court]] and during the award ceremony while receiving the trophy and winner's cheque for GBP £10,000 (1975 equivalent US$23,000). Soon after the final, Connors dropped the libel suit.

Ashe played for a few more years and won the Australian Open doubles with [[Tony Roche]] in January 1977, but a left foot heel injury requiring surgery a month later and subsequent long-term rehabilitation saw his world ranking drop to a lowly 257th before a remarkable comeback saw him rise back to 13th in the world again the following year at the age of 35. However, after undergoing [[Cardiac surgery|heart surgery]] in December 1979, Ashe officially retired on April 16, 1980, at the age of 36. His career record was 818 wins, 260 losses, and 51 titles.

== Post-tennis career and activism ==
[[File:C9186-21Reagan-Ashe.jpg|thumb|President Reagan greets Arthur Ashe (left) in 1982]]
After his retirement, Ashe took on many roles, including writing for ''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' magazine and ''[[The Washington Post]]'', commentating for [[ABC Sports]] and [[HBO]] from the early 1980s until a few months before his death, founding the National Junior Tennis League, and serving as captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1981 to 1985. He was elected to the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmgww.com/sports/ashe/about/bio2.htm |title=Arthur Ashe Biography |publisher=CMG WorldWide |access-date=September 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810131706/http://www.cmgww.com/sports/ashe/about/bio2.htm |archive-date=August 10, 2009 }}</ref>

Ashe was an active civil rights supporter. In 1982, he joined with [[Harry Belafonte]] to form the group Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid, which called for a cultural boycott of South Africa.<ref>{{cite web |last= Larson |first=Zeb |date= February 7, 2025|title= African Americans and the Fight Against Apartheid |url= https://picturingblackhistory.org/african-americans-against-apartheid/ |website=Picturing Black History |location= |publisher= |access-date=February 8, 2025}}</ref> Ashe was arrested on January 11, 1985, for protesting outside the [[Embassy of South Africa, Washington, D.C.]], during an [[Anti-apartheid movement in the United States|anti-apartheid]] rally. Six years later, he joined musician and producer [[Quincy Jones]] as part of a delegation of 31 prominent African Americans who visited [[South Africa]] in 1991 to observe political change in the country as it approached racial integration.<ref>{{cite news
|agency      = Associated Press|date        = February 18, 1992
|title       = Arthur Ashe Through the Years
|url         = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-07-sp-1739-story.html
|location    = 
|work   = Los Angeles Times
|access-date = February 8, 2025
}}</ref> He was arrested again on September 18, 1992, outside the [[White House]] for protesting with [[TransAfrica]] on the recent crackdown on [[Haitians|Haitian]] refugees.<ref>{{cite news
|last        = Myers
|first       = Eli Michael
|date        = September 10, 1992
|title       = Arthur Ashe arrested in front of White House in Haitian protest
|url         = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/09/10/Arthur-Ashe-arrested-in-front-of-White-House-in-Haitian-protest/7069716097600/
|work        = 
|location    = 
|publisher   = UPI
|access-date = February 8, 2025
}}</ref>

In 1988, Ashe published a three-volume book titled ''A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Ashe|first=Arthur R. Jr.|date=November 13, 1988|title=Views of Sport; Taking the Hard Road with Black Athletes|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/13/sports/views-of-sport-taking-the-hard-road-with-black-athletes.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|access-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref> after working with a team of researchers for nearly six years.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kupferberg|first=Herbert|date=March 12, 1989|title=Their Hard Road to Glory|pages=12|work=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1sQwAAAAIBAJ&dq=arthur-ashe%20hard-road-to-glory&pg=4953%2C7510747|access-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref> Ashe stated that the book was more important than any tennis titles.<ref>{{cite web|author=Michael O'Donnell|date=August 29, 2014|title=Book Review: 'Arthur Ashe' by Eric Allen Hall|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/book-review-arthur-ashe-by-eric-allen-hall-1409348393|website=online.wsj.com|publisher=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

After Ashe publicly acknowledged that he had contracted HIV, he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS, working to raise awareness about the virus and advocated teaching [[sex education]] and [[safe sex]]. He also fielded questions about his own diagnosis and attempted to clear up the misconception that only homosexual and bisexual men or IV drug users were at risk for contracting HIV.<ref name=sankaran /> In a speech to the [[United Nations General Assembly]] on [[World AIDS Day]], December 1, 1992, he addressed the growing need for AIDS awareness and increased research funding, saying: "We want to be able to look back and say to all concerned that we did what we had to do, when we had to do it, and with all the resources required."

Two months before his death, he founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to help address issues of inadequate health care delivery and was named ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine's [[Sportsman of the Year]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Every Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year |url=https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/sports-illustrated-sportsperson-year-covers |access-date=December 6, 2025 |website=SI |language=en-US}}</ref> He also spent much of the last years of his life writing his memoir, ''[[Days of Grace (book)|Days of Grace]]'', finishing the manuscript less than a week before his death.

== Personal life ==
In October 1976, Ashe met photographer and graphic artist [[Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe|Jeanne Moutoussamy]] at a [[United Negro College Fund]] benefit. Moutoussamy, who is of [[Afro-Guadeloupean]] and African-American heritage, is the daughter of architect [[John Moutoussamy]]. On February 20, 1977, they were married in the [[Church Center for the United Nations]] in New York City in a ceremony officiated by [[Andrew Young]], the [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ashe|first=Arthur|date=August 1981|title=My Introduction To Sex, Love and Marriage|magazine=Ebony|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|volume=36|issue=10|pages=86, 90|issn=0012-9011}} Young served as a [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]] in the [[United Church of Christ]].</ref>

In December 1986, Ashe and Moutoussamy adopted a daughter. They named their daughter Camera, after her mother's professional instrument.<ref>{{cite book|last=Steins|first=Richard|title=Arthur Ashe: A Biography|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|isbn=0-313-33299-1|pages=66}}</ref>

=== Health ===
In July 1979, at the age of 36, Ashe suffered a heart attack while holding a tennis clinic in New York. In view of his high level of fitness as an athlete, his condition drew attention to the hereditary aspect of heart disease; his mother already had [[cardiovascular disease]] at the time of her death at age 27, and his father had suffered his first heart attack at age 55, and a second, at age 59, just a week before Ashe's own attack. [[Cardiac catheterization]] revealed one of Ashe's arteries was completely closed, another was 95 percent closed, and a third was closed 50 percent in two places. He underwent a quadruple [[Coronary artery bypass surgery|bypass]] operation performed by Dr. John Hutchinson on December 13, 1979.<ref name=DoG>{{cite book |title= Days of Grace: A Memoir |last= Rampersad |first= Arnold |author2= Arthur Ashe |year= 1993 |publisher= Alfred A. Knopf |location= New York |isbn= 0-679-42396-6 |page= [https://archive.org/details/daysofgracememoi00ashe/page/35 35] |url= https://archive.org/details/daysofgracememoi00ashe/page/35 }}</ref>
[[File:Arthur Ashe c-00619.jpg|right|thumb|Ashe promoting heart health after his heart attack]]
A few months after the operation, Ashe was on the verge of making his return to professional tennis. However, during a family trip in [[Cairo, Egypt]], he developed chest pains while running. He stopped running and returned to see a physician accompanied by his close friend Douglas Stein. Stein urged him to return to New York City so he could be close to his cardiologist, his surgeon and top-class medical facilities.<ref name=DoG /> In 1983, he underwent a second round of heart surgery to correct the previous bypass surgery. After the surgery, Ashe became national campaign chairman for the American Heart Association.

In September 1988, Ashe was hospitalized after experiencing paralysis in his right arm. After undergoing exploratory brain surgery and a number of tests, doctors discovered that he had [[toxoplasmosis]], a [[parasitic disease]] that is commonly found in people infected with HIV. A subsequent test later revealed that he was HIV-positive. Ashe and his doctors believed he contracted the virus from [[blood transfusion]]s he received during his second heart surgery.<ref name="sankaran">{{cite book|last1=Sankaran|first1=Gopal|last2=Volkwein-Caplan|first2=Karin A. E.|last3=Bonsall|first3=Dale R.|title=HIV/Aids in Sport: Impact, Issues, and Challenges|year=1999|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=0-880-11749-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/hivaidsinsportim00sank/page/58 58]|url=https://archive.org/details/hivaidsinsportim00sank/page/58}}</ref><ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/08/obituaries/arthur-ashe-tennis-star-is-dead-at-49.html?ref=arthurashe|title=Arthur Ashe, Tennis Star, Is Dead at 49|last=Finn|first=Robin|date=February 8, 1993|newspaper=nytimes.com|access-date=December 4, 2012}}</ref> He and his wife decided to keep his illness private for the sake of their daughter, who was then two years old.

In September 1992, Ashe suffered a mild heart attack.

In 1992, a friend of Ashe who worked for ''[[USA Today]]'' heard that he was ill and called him to confirm the story. Ashe decided to preempt ''USA Today''{{'}}s plans to publish the story about his illness and, on April 8, 1992, publicly announced he had contracted HIV. He blamed ''USA Today'' for forcing him to go public with the news but also stated that he was relieved that he no longer had to lie about his illness. After the announcement, hundreds of readers called or wrote letters to ''USA Today'' criticizing their choice to run the story about Ashe that forced him to publicize his illness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sankaran|first1=Gopal|last2=Volkwein-Caplan|first2=Karin A. E.|last3=Bonsall|first3=Dale R.|title=HIV/Aids in Sport: Impact, Issues, and Challenges|year=1999|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=0-880-11749-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/hivaidsinsportim00sank/page/59 59]|url=https://archive.org/details/hivaidsinsportim00sank/page/59}}</ref>

===Death===
On February 6, 1993, Ashe died from [[AIDS-related pneumonia]] at [[Weill Cornell Medical Center|New York Hospital]] at 3:13&nbsp;p.m., at age 49. His funeral was held at the [[Arthur Ashe Athletic Center]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]], on February 10.<ref name="nytimes" /> Governor [[Douglas Wilder]], who was a friend of Ashe's, allowed his body to [[lie in state]] at the [[Executive Mansion (Virginia)|Governor's Mansion]] in Richmond. More than 5,000 people lined up to walk past the casket. Andrew Young, who had performed the service for Ashe's wedding in 1977, officiated at his funeral. Over 6,000 mourners attended.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 1, 1993|title=Friends and Fans Say Farewell to Arthur Ashe|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|publisher=[[Johnson Publishing Company]]|volume=83|issue=18|pages=12–18|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> Ashe requested that he be buried alongside his mother in [[Woodland Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)|Woodland Cemetery]] in Richmond, Virginia.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_OYyAAAAIBAJ&pg=4123,749050&dq=arthur+ashe+mattie&hl=en|title=Richmond still searching for way to honor Ashe|last=Macenka|first=Joe|date=February 4, 1995|work=[[The Free Lance–Star]]|page=B1|access-date=December 4, 2012}}</ref>

On February 12, 1993, a memorial service for Ashe was held at the [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]] in Manhattan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-13-sp-1301-story.html|title=Thousands Pay Tribute to Ashe : Memorial service: Late tennis champion is honored by friends, politicians and others in New York.|last=Goldman|first=John J.|date=February 13, 1993|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 4, 2012}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Ashe remains the only black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} He is one of only two men of [[black people|black]] African ancestry to win any Grand Slam singles title, the other being France's [[Yannick Noah]], who won the French Open in 1983. He also led the United States to victory for three consecutive years (1968–70) in the Davis Cup.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

In his 1979 autobiography, [[Jack Kramer]], the long-time tennis promoter and a world no. 1 player himself<ref>promoted to be ranked NO.1</ref> in the 1940s, ranked Ashe as one of the 21 best players of all time.<ref>Kramer considered the best ever to have been either [[Don Budge]] (for consistent play) or [[Ellsworth Vines]] (at the height of his game). The next four best were, chronologically, [[Bill Tilden]], [[Fred Perry]], [[Bobby Riggs]], and [[Pancho Gonzales]]. After these six came the "second echelon" of [[Rod Laver]], [[Lew Hoad]], [[Ken Rosewall]], [[Gottfried von Cramm]], [[Ted Schroeder]], [[Jack Crawford (tennis)|Jack Crawford]], [[Pancho Segura]], [[Frank Sedgman]], [[Tony Trabert]], [[John Newcombe]], Arthur Ashe, [[Stan Smith]], [[Björn Borg]], and [[Jimmy Connors]]. Kramer felt unable to rank [[Henri Cochet]] and [[René Lacoste]] accurately but felt they were among the very best.</ref>

=== Awards and honors ===
[[File:Arthur Ashe Stadium View.JPG|thumb|The [[Arthur Ashe Stadium]] at the 2007 US Open]]
[[File:Arthur Ashe Health Center.jpg|thumb|The Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, on the campus of UCLA]]
[[File:Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center.jpg|thumb|Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center in Richmond, Virginia.]]
* In 1974, Ashe released one the sport's first instructional long-playing [[Phonograph record|records]], "Learn Tennis with Arthur Ashe. For Beginners and Advanced Players", co-produced by Richard B. Thompson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Richard Thompson Obituary (2011) - Cliffside Park, NJ - The Record/Herald News|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/northjersey/148280292|access-date=May 9, 2021|website=www.legacy.com}}</ref>
*In 1975, Arthur Ashe received the inaugural [[ATP World Tour Awards#Player of the Year|ATP Player of the Year Award]].
*In 1975 he received the [[BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year|BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/past_winners/3222690.stm#3|title=Past winners: 1973–1977: 1975 Winner|date=November 27, 2003|publisher=BBC|access-date=January 14, 2023| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071214030050/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/past_winners/3222690.stm| archive-date=December 14, 2007| url-status= live}}</ref>
* In 1977, he received the [[ATP World Tour Awards#ATP Sportsmanship Award|ATP Sportsmanship Award]], voted for by other ATP-tour players.<ref>The ATP Player and Team of the Year awards are presently given to the player and team who end the year as world No. 1 in the ATP rankings</ref>
* In 1979, Ashe was awarded [[ATP World Tour Awards#Comeback Player of the Year|ATP Comeback Player of the Year]] and was inducted into the [[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]]. Commenting on the induction, the Hall started: "Arthur Ashe was certainly a hero to people of all ages and races, and his legacy continues to touch the lives of many today. For Arthur Ashe, tennis was a means to an end. Although he had a lucrative tennis career, it was always more than personal glory and individual accolades. He used his status as an elite tennis player to speak out against the moral inequalities that existed both in and out of the tennis world. Ashe sincerely wanted to bring about change in the world. What made him stand out was that he became a world champion along the way."<ref>[http://vshfm.com/hall/induct_ashe.html Ashe induction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130130504/http://vshfm.com/hall/induct_ashe.html|date=November 30, 2010}} at Virginia Sports Hall of Fame</ref>
* In 1982, The Arthur Ashe Athletic Center, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena, was built in Richmond, Virginia. It hosts local sporting events and concerts.
* Ashe was inducted into the [[Intercollegiate Tennis Association#Hall of Fame|Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame]] in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|title=ITA Men's Hall of Fame|url=http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/HOF/Mens.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703072844/http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/HOF/Mens.htm|archive-date=July 3, 2017|access-date=September 9, 2009|publisher=Intercollegiate Tennis Association}}</ref>
* In 1985, he was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]].
* In 1986, Ashe won a Sports Emmy for co-writing the documentary ''A Hard Road to Glory'', with Bryan Polivka.<ref>{{cite web|title=Arthur Ashe Biography|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/An-Ba/Ashe-Arthur.html|publisher=Encyclopedia of World Biography}}</ref>
* In 1991, Ashe received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from [[The College of William and Mary in Virginia]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary degree recipients |url=https://scrc-kb.libraries.wm.edu/honorary-degree-recipients |access-date=March 3, 2024 |website=William & Mary Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center|date=September 25, 2020 }}</ref>
* On December 3, 1992, Ashe was presented with the "Sports Legend" Award by the [[American Sportscasters Association]] at their Eighth annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in New York City.
* On June 20, 1993, Ashe was posthumously awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients|url=https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_Recipients.htm|access-date=December 4, 2012|publisher=senate.gov}}</ref>
* In 1993, Ashe was awarded the [[Congressional Black Caucus Foundation]]'s [[Phoenix Award (Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)|George Thomas "Mickey" Leland Award]]<ref>Arsenio hall to get black caucus award. (September 16, 1993). ''Los Angeles Sentinel.''</ref>
* In 1993, Arthur Ashe was also awarded posthumously the [[ATP World Tour Awards#Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award|Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award]] by the ATP, in honor of his career-long contributions to humanitarianism.
* In 1993, Arthur Ashe received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by [[Jefferson Awards for Public Service|Jefferson Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|title=National – Jefferson Awards|url=http://www.jeffersonawards.org/pastwinners/national|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124043935/http://jeffersonawards.org/pastwinners/national|archive-date=November 24, 2010|access-date=August 5, 2013|work=Jefferson Awards}}</ref>
* In 1996 the city of Richmond posthumously honored Arthur Ashe's life with a statue by sculptor [[Paul DiPasquale]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Packett |first1=John |title=On the 25th anniversary of Arthur Ashe's death, reflections on what he would make of today's society|url=http://www.richmond.com/sports/local/tennis/on-the-th-anniversary-of-arthur-ashe-s-death-reflections/article_084134c4-0907-11e8-9e00-a3827433e813.html|access-date=February 4, 2018|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=February 3, 2018|location=Richmond, Virginia}}</ref> on [[Monument Avenue#Arthur Ashe Monument|Monument Avenue]], a place traditionally reserved for statues of key figures of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. This decision led to some controversy in a city that was the capital of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="HistoricalGeography">{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Nuala C.|year=2005|title=Locating Memory: Tracing the Trajectories of Remembrance|url=http://www.historical-geography.net/volume_33_2005/johnson.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=Historical Geography|volume=33|pages=165–179|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105025803/http://www.historical-geography.net/volume_33_2005/johnson.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2013|access-date=April 6, 2012}}</ref>
* The main stadium at the [[USTA National Tennis Center]] in [[Flushing Meadows Park]], where the US Open is played, is named [[Arthur Ashe Stadium]]. This is also the home of the annual [[Arthur Ashe Kids' Day]].
* In 2002, Ashe winning Wimbledon in 1975 was voted 95th in Channel 4's [[100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002|title=C4 – 100 Greatest Sporting Moments|url=http://www.channel4.com:80/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020916111734/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|archive-date=September 16, 2002|access-date=October 16, 2018|website=Channel Four}}</ref>
* In 2002, scholar [[Molefi Kete Asante]] listed Arthur Ashe on his list of [[100 Greatest African Americans]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Asante|first=Molefi Kete|title=100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia|publisher=Prometheus Books|year=2002|isbn=1-57392-963-8|location=Amherst, New York|page=400}}</ref>
* In 2005, the [[United States Postal Service]] announced the release of an Arthur Ashe commemorative stamp, the first to feature a cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine.
* Also in 2005, ''[[TENNIS Magazine]]'' ranked him 30th in their list of the 40 Greatest Players of the ''TENNIS'' Era.<ref>{{cite web|title=40 Greatest players of the TENNIS Era (29–32)|url=http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=622|access-date=September 9, 2009|publisher=[[TENNIS Magazine]]}}</ref>
* [[ESPN]]'s annual sports awards, the [[ESPY Awards]], hands out the [[Arthur Ashe for Courage Award]] to a member of the sports world who best exhibits courage in the face of adversity.
* [[Philadelphia]]'s Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center (now named Legacy Youth Tennis and Education Center) and Richmond's [[Arthur Ashe Athletic Center]] have been named for Ashe.
* The Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center at Ashe's alma mater, [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]], is named for him. It opened in 1997.
* On June 22, 2019, the renaming of [[Boulevard (Richmond, Virginia)|the Boulevard]] as Arthur Ashe Boulevard was celebrated in Richmond, Virginia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Signs for Arthur Ashe Boulevard are unveiled in Richmond|url=http://tracking.bhmedia.whatcounts.com/t?r=30&c=186386&l=36&ctl=36D2E2:D060F968A13ACA00CC4388D91C2EBC17A8F564F1305D55EC&|access-date=June 22, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* ''Diverse: Issues In Higher Education'' sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 12, 2022 |title=Arthur Ashe |url=https://www.diverseeducation.com/awards-honors/arthur-ashe |website=Diverse: Issues In Higher Education}}</ref>

==Grand Slam finals==
===Singles: 7 finals (3 titles, 4 runner-ups)===
{| class="sortable wikitable"
!Result
!Year
!style="width:140px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:130px"|Opponent
!style="width:170px"  class="unsortable"|Score
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||[[1966 Australian Championships – Men's singles|1966]] || style="background:#ffc;"|[[Australian Open]] || [[Grass court|Grass]]|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Roy Emerson]] || 4–6, 8–6, 2–6, 3–6
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss ||[[1967 Australian Championships – Men's singles|1967]] || style="background:#ffc;"|Australian Open || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Roy Emerson]] || 4–6, 1–6, 4–6
|-
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="6"|↓ Open Era ↓
|- 
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win ||[[1968 US Open – Men's singles|1968]] || style="background:#ccf;"|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] || Grass || {{flagicon|NED}} [[Tom Okker]] || 14–12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
|- 
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || [[1970 Australian Open – Men's singles|1970]] || style="background:#ffc;"|Australian Open || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Dick Crealy]] || 6–4, 9–7, 6–2
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1971 Australian Open – Men's singles|1971]] || style="background:#ffc;"|Australian Open || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] || 1–6, 5–7, 3–6
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1972 US Open – Men's singles|1972]] || style="background:#ccf;"|US Open || Grass ||{{flagicon|ROM|1965}} [[Ilie Năstase]] || 6–3, 3–6, 7–6, 4–6, 3–6
|- 
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || [[1975 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1975]] || style="background:#cfc;"|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] || Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Connors]] || 6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4
|}

===Doubles: 5 finals (2 titles, 3 runners-up)===

{|class="sortable wikitable" 
!Result
!Year
!style="width:140px"|Championship
!Surface
!style="width:130px"|Partner
!style="width:130px"|Opponents
!style="width:160px"  class="unsortable"|Score
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1968 US Open – Men's doubles|1968]] || style="background:#ccf;"|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] || Grass || {{flagicon|ESP|1945}} [[Andrés Gimeno]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bob Lutz (tennis)|Robert Lutz]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Stan Smith]] || 9–11, 1–6, 5–7
|- 
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1970 French Open – Men's doubles|1970]] || style="background:#ebc2af;"|[[French Open]] || [[Clay court|Clay]]|| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charlie Pasarell]] || {{flagicon|ROM|1965}} [[Ilie Năstase]]<br />{{flagicon|ROM|1965}} [[Ion Țiriac]] || 2–6, 4–6, 3–6
|- 
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || [[1971 French Open – Men's doubles|1971]] || style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Open || Clay || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Marty Riessen]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tom Gorman (tennis)|Tom Gorman]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Stan Smith]] || 6–8, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 11–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss || [[1971 Wimbledon Championships – Men's doubles|1971]] || style="background:#cfc;"|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] || Grass || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dennis Ralston]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Roy Emerson]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || 6–4, 7–9, 8–6, 4–6, 4–6
|-
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win || [[1977 Australian Open (January)|1977]]<sup>({{Tooltip|J|January}})</sup> || style="background:#ffc;"|Australian Open || Grass || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Tony Roche]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charlie Pasarell]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Erik van Dillen]] || 6–4, 6–4
|}

==Grand Slam singles performance timeline==
{{performance key|short=y|active=no}}
{|class="wikitable nowrap" style=text-align:center;font-size:97%
|-
!Tournament!!1959!!1960!!1961!!1962!!1963!!1964!!1965!!1966!!1967!!1968!!1969!![[1970 Grand Prix (tennis)|1970]]!![[1971 Grand Prix (tennis)|1971]]!![[1972 Grand Prix (tennis)|1972]]!![[1973 Grand Prix (tennis)|1973]]!![[1974 Grand Prix (tennis)|1974]]!![[1975 Grand Prix (tennis)|1975]]!![[1976 Grand Prix (tennis)|1976]]!!colspan=2|[[1977 Grand Prix (tennis)|1977]]<sup>1</sup>!![[1978 Grand Prix (tennis)|1978]]!![[1979 Grand Prix (tennis)|1979]]!!SR!!W–L
|-
|style=background:#efefef;text-align:left|[[Australian Open]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:thistle|[[1966 Australian Championships – Men's singles|F]]
|style=background:thistle|[[1967 Australian Championships – Men's singles|F]]
|A
|A
|style=background:#0f0|[[1970 Australian Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
|style=background:thistle|[[1971 Australian Open – Men's singles|F]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[1977 Australian Open (January) – Men's singles|QF]]
|A
|style=background:yellow|[[1978 Australian Open – Men's singles|SF]]
|A
|style=background:#efefef|1 / 6
|style=background:#efefef|25–5
|-
|style=background:#efefef;text-align:left|[[French Open]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1969 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[1970 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[1971 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1973 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1974 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1976 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|colspan=2 style=text-align:center|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1978 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1979 French Open – Men's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#efefef|0 / 8
|style=background:#efefef|25–8
|-
|style=background:#efefef;text-align:left|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1963 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1964 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1965 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
|A
|A
|style=background:yellow|[[1968 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
|style=background:yellow|[[1969 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1970 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1971 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|A
|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1974 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#0f0|[[1975 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|'''W''']]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1976 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=text-align:center colspan=2|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1978 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1979 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
|style=background:#efefef|1 / 12
|style=background:#efefef|35–11
|-
|style=background:#efefef;text-align:left|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1959 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1960 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1961 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1962 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1963 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1964 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:yellow|[[1965 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1966 U.S. National Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|A
|style=background:#0f0|[[1968 US Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
|style=background:yellow|[[1969 US Open – Men's singles|SF]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[1970 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
|style=background:yellow|[[1971 US Open – Men's singles|SF]]
|style=background:thistle|[[1972 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1973 US Open – Men's singles|3R]]
|style=background:#ffebcd|[[1974 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1975 US Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1976 US Open – Men's singles|2R]]
|style=text-align:center colspan=2|A
|style=background:#afeeee|[[1978 US Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|A
|style=background:#efefef|1 / 18
|style=background:#efefef|53–17
|-style=background:#efefef;font-weight:bold
|align=left|Win–loss
|0–1
|1–1
|1–1
|1–1
|4–2
|6–2
|8–2
|7–2
|4–1
|11–1
|13–3
|15–3
|15–4
|6–1
|5–2
|9–3
|10–1
|7–3
|colspan=2|3–1
|10–4
|2–2
|3 / 44
|138–41
|}
<sup>1</sup>The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

==Singles titles (76)==
<small>Note: Ashe won 28 titles before the Open Era</small>

{|class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:25px"|No.
!style="width:55px"|Date
!Tournament
!Surface
!style="width:200px"|Opponent
!style="width:200px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-
|1.||Jul 1961||Eastern Clay Court Championships, [[Hackensack (NJ)|Hackensack]]||Clay||{{flagicon|USA}} Robert M. Baker ||6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4
|- 
|2.||Aug 1961||American Tennis Association Championships, [[Hampton (VA)|Hampton]] ||?||{{flagicon|USA}} Wilbur H. Jenkins||6–1, 6–1, 6–3
|-
|3.||Apr 1962||[[Ojai Tennis Tournament]], [[Ojai, California|Ojai]]||[[Hardcourt|Hard]]||{{flagicon|USA}} David R. Reed||6–3, 6–2
|-
|4.||Jan 1962|| Detroit Invitational, Detroit||?||{{flagicon|USA}} William (Bill) H.Wright ||6–2, 6–2
|-
|5.||Aug 1962||American Tennis Association Championships, [[Wilberforce, Ohio|Wilberforce]] ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Wilbur H. Jenkins||6–1, 6–2, 6–0<ref>{{cite news | title=Arthur Ashe Jr wins ATA singles crown | work=Alabama Tribune | date=August 31, 1962 | pages=7}}</ref>
|-
|6.||Sep 1963|| [[Pacific Southwest Championships]]s, Los Angeles ||Hard ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Whitney Reed]] || 2–6, 9–7, 6–2
|-
|7.||Dec 1963||U.S. Hard Court Championships ||Hard ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Allen Fox]]|| 6–3, 12–10
|-
|8.||Aug 1964||[[Eastern Grass Court Championships]], New Jersey ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Clark Graebner]] || 4–6, 8–6, 6–4, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe wins his 1st major net tourney | work=The Boston Globe | date=August 3, 1964 | pages=13}}</ref>
|-
|9.||Sep 1964||Perth Amboy Invitational, New Jersey ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Gene Scott]] || 6–3, 8–6, 6–2<ref>{{cite news | title=Tennis title won by Ashe | work=The Courier News | date=September 14, 1964 | pages=24}}</ref>
|-
|10.||Sep 1965||Colonial National Invitational, Texas ||? ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Fred Stolle]] || 6–3, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe topples Stolle | work=The Orlando Sentinel | date=September 20, 1965 | pages=28}}</ref>
|-
|11.||Nov 1965||[[Queensland Lawn Tennis Championships]], Australia ||Grass ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Roy Emerson]] || 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1<ref>{{cite news | title=Cannonball service, Ashe upsets Emerson | work=Fresno Bee | date=November 8, 1965 | pages=20}}</ref>
|-
|12.||Dec 1965||[[South Australian Championships]] ||Grass ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Roy Emerson || 7–9, 7–5, 6–0, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Yanks' Ashe tops Emerson | work=Southern Illinoisan | date=December 12, 1965 | pages=13}}</ref>
|-
|13.||Jan 1966||[[Western Australian Championships]], Perth ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cliff Richey]] || 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe downs Richey | work=Democrat and Chronicle | date=January 10, 1966 | pages=31}}</ref>
|-
|14.||Jan 1966||Tasmanian Championships, Australia ||? ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[John Newcombe]] || 6–4, 6–4, 12–10<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe outguns Newcombe | work=Asbury Park Press | date=January 17, 1966 | pages=19}}</ref> 
|-
|15.||Mar 1966||[[Thunderbird Invitational Tennis Tournament]], Phoenix ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Osborne (tennis)|Jim Osborne]] || 3–6, 6–3, 6–2<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe wins Phoenix net title | work=Arizona Daily Star | date=March 21, 1966 | pages=14}}</ref>
|-
|16.||Apr 1966||[[Caribe Hilton Invitational]], Puerto Rico ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Cliff Richey || 6–3, 6–4, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe stuns Richey in Caribe | work=Dayton Journal Herald | date=April 4, 1966 | pages=18}}</ref>
|-
|17.||Apr 1966||Dallas Invitational, Texas ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Charles Pasarell]] || 7–9, 6–4, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe beats Pasarell in Dallas | work=Passiac Herald News | date=April 25, 1966 | pages=26}}</ref>
|-
|18.||Feb 1967||Philadelphia International, USA ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Charles Pasarell || 7–5, 9–7, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe sweeps Pasarell in Phila. net final | work=The Philadelphia Inquirer | date=February 13, 1967 | pages=22}}</ref>
|-
|19.||Feb 1967||[[Concord International Indoor]], Kiamesha Lake ||Hard (i) ||{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Thomaz Koch]] || 6–3, 2–6, 6–2<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe defeats Koch in final | work=New York Daily News | agency=February 23, 1967 | pages=417}}</ref>
|-
|20.||Feb 1967||Western Indoor Championship ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Clark Graebner || 3–6, 6–3, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Western net meet won by Arthur Ashe | work=Indianapolis Star | date=February 27, 1967 | pages=30}}</ref>
|-
|21.||Apr 1967||Long Island Invitational ||? ||round-robin ||<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe takes indoor title | work=The Indianapolis News | date=April 3, 1967 | pages=29}}</ref>
|-
|22.||Jul 1967||National Clay Court Championship, USA ||Clay ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Marty Riessen]] || 4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 7–5<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe whips Riessen in title dual | work=St. Joseph Gazette | date=July 24, 1967 | pages=9}}</ref>
|-
|23.||1967||Long Island Masters, New York ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Ronald Holmberg]] || 31–27<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbgDAAAAMBAJ&q=Arthur+Ashe+Ron+Holmberg+31-27&pg=PA51 | title=Ashe beats Holmberg at Long Island Masters | magazine=Jet | date=January 4, 1968 | access-date=October 30, 2019 | pages=51| publisher=Johnson Publishing Company }}</ref>
|-
|24.||Jan 1968||[[Caribe Hilton Invitational]], Puerto Rico ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Ronald Holmberg || 6–4, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe beats Holmberg in Puerto Rico | work=Los Angeles Times | date=January 15, 1968 | pages=41}}</ref>
|-
|25.||Feb 1968||*Fidelity Bankers Invitational, Richmond ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chuck McKinley]] || 6–2, 6–1<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe whips McKinley | work=The South Bend Tribune | date=February 5, 1968 | pages=17}}</ref>
|-
|26.||Feb 1968||Concord International Indoor, Kiamesha Lake ||Hard (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jan Leschly]] || 6–3, 15–13<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe stops Leschly, keeps Concord title | work=Pensacola News Journal | date=February 29, 1968 | pages=36}}</ref>
|-
|27.<ref>{{cite web |title=New York: Overview ATP Tour 1968 to 1972 |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/new-york/2058/overview |website=ATP Tour |publisher=ATP |access-date=October 6, 2023}}</ref>||Mar 1968||[[Madison Square Garden Challenge Trophy]], New York ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Roy Emerson || 6–4, 6–4, 7–5<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe tops Emerson in tennis | work=Allentown Morning Call | date=March 31, 1968 | pages=44}}</ref>
|-
|28.||Apr 1968||*Charlotte Invitation, Charlotte ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Ronald Holmberg || 6–2, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe crushes Holmberg for Charlotte title | work=The Boston Globe | date=April 22, 1968 | pages=27}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="7" align="center" | ↓&nbsp;&nbsp;Open Era&nbsp;&nbsp;↓
|-
|29.||Jun 1968||[[West of England Championships]], Bristol ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} Clark Graebner || 6–4, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe tops Graebner | work=Waterloo The Courier | date=June 17, 1968 | pages=11}}</ref>
|-
|30.||Jul 1968||*[[Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championships]], Haverford ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} Marty Riessen || 6–2, 6–3, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Arthur Ashe rips Riessen in net final | work=Springfield Leader and Press | date=July 29, 1968 | pages=20}}</ref>
|-
|31.||Aug 1968||*U.S. Amateur Championships, Boston||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bob Lutz (tennis)|Bob Lutz]]|| 4–6, 6–3, 8–10, 6–0, 6–4
|-
|-style="background:#f3e6d7;"
|32.||Sep 1968||*[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]], New York ||Grass ||{{flagicon|NED}} [[Tom Okker]] || 14–12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=gL9scSG3K_gC&dat=19680910&printsec=frontpage "Ashe Wins U.S. Open Singles Title"], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', September 10, 1968, p. 27.</ref>
|-
|33.||Sep 1968||Las Vegas Invitational ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Clark Graebner || 9–7, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe trounces Graebner in Vegas net final | work=The Fresno Bee | date=September 14, 1968 | pages=16}}</ref> 
|-
|34.||Dec 1968||*[[Queensland Championships]], Brisbane, Australia ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Stan Smith]] || 6–4, 1–6, 9–7, 4–6, 7–5<ref>{{cite news | title=Takes 5 sets, but Ashe defeats Smith | work=Harlington Valley Morning Star | date=December 16, 1968 | pages=11}}</ref>
|-
|35.||Feb 1969||Balboa Bay Club Invitational ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} Charles Pasarell || shared title, rain<ref>{{cite news | title=Net final postponed | work=Los Angeles Times | date=February 24, 1969 | pages=38}}</ref>
|-
|36.||Apr 1969||*[[Caribe Hilton International]], San Juan, Puerto Rico ||Hard ||{{flagicon|USA}} Charles Pasarell || 5–7, 5–7, 6–0, 6–4, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe beats Pasarell for Caribe title | work=Oakland Tribune | date=April 7, 1969 | pages=46}}</ref>
|-
|-style="background:#f3e6d7;" 
|37.||Jan 1970||*[[1970 Australian Open|Australian Open]], Melbourne ||Grass||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Dick Crealy]]|| 6–4, 9–7, 6–2
|-
|38.||Feb 1970||*Richmond WCT, Richmond ||[[Carpet court|Carpet]] (i)||{{flagicon|USA}} Stan Smith || 6–2, 13–11<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe downs Stan Smith | work=The Des Moines Register | date=February 16, 1970 | pages=21}}</ref>
|-
|39.||Mar 1970||*Jacksonville Open, Florida ||Clay ||{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Brian Fairlie]] || 6–3, 4–6, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe conquers Fairlie | work=Los Angeles Times | date=March 30, 1970 | pages=44}}</ref>
|-
|40.||Apr 1970||*[[Caribe Hilton International]], San Juan, Puerto Rico ||Hard ||{{flagicon|USA}} Cliff Richey || 6–4, 6–3, 1–6, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe outlasts Richey | work=Hartford Courant | date=April 6, 1970 | pages=24}}</ref>
|-
|41.||Apr 1970||Bacardi Invitational, Bermuda ||? ||{{flagicon|YUG}} [[Željko Franulović]] || 8–6, 7–5<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe wins tourney in Bermuda | work=Tampa Bay Times | date=April 13, 1970 | pages=34}}</ref>
|-
|42.||May 1970||*Glenwood Manor Invitational, Kansas City||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} Clark Graebner || 7–6, 6–1<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe defeats Graebner | work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune | date=May 4, 1970 | pages=10}}</ref>
|-
|43.||May 1970||*Central California Championships, Sacramento ||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Barry MacKay (tennis)]] || 6–4, 6–2, 3–6, 10–8<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe nips MacKay | work=Dayton Daily News | pages=9}}</ref>
|-
|44.||Jun 1970||John Player tournament ||? ||round-robin ||<ref>{{cite news | title=Round robin net crown to Ashe | work=Des Moines Register | date=June 14, 1970 | pages=31}}</ref>
|-
|45.||Sep 1970||Seattle Tennis Invitational ||? ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tom Gorman (tennis)|Tom Gorman]] || 6–3, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe Wins in Seattle | work=Spokane Spokesman-Review | date=September 22, 1970 | pages=15}}</ref>
|-
|46.||Sep 1970||*[[1970 Pacific Coast International Open|Berkeley]], California ||Hard ||{{flagicon|USA}} Cliff Richey || 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
|-
|47.||Oct 1970||*Denver Invitational, Denver, USA ||Hard (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Charlie Pasarell || 6–2, 5–6, 6–3<ref>{{cite news | title=Ashe tops Pasarell for Denver crown | work=Springfield Leader and Press | date=October 12, 1970 | pages=15}}</ref>
|-
|48.||Nov 1970||*[[1970 Paris Open|Paris]], France ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Marty Riessen || 7–6, 6–4, 6–3
|-
|49.||Apr 1971||*[[1971 Charlotte Tennis Classic|Charlotte]], USA ||Hard || {{flagicon|USA}} Stan Smith || 6–3, 6–3
|-
|50.||Nov 1971||*[[Stockholm Open|Stockholm WCT]], Sweden ||Hard (i) ||{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Jan Kodeš]] || 6–1, 3–6, 6–2, 1–6, 6–4
|-
|51.||Jul 1972||*Louisville WCT ||Clay ||{{flagicon|UK}} [[Mark Cox (tennis)|Mark Cox]] || 6–4, 6–4
|-
|52.||Sep 1972||*Montreal WCT ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|AUS}} Roy Emerson || 7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
|-
|53.||Nov 1972||*[[1972 Rotterdam Indoors|Rotterdam WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|NED}} [[Tom Okker]] || 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
|-
|54.||Nov 1972||*[[1972 World Championship Tennis Winter Finals|Rome WCT Winter Finals]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Lutz || 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6
|-
|55.||Feb 1973||*Chicago WCT||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|UK}} [[Roger Taylor (tennis)|Roger Taylor]] || 3–6, 7–6<sup>(11–9)</sup>, 7–6<sup>(7–2)</sup>
|-
|56.||Jul 1973||*[[1973 Washington Star International|Washington]] ||Clay ||{{flagicon|NED}} Tom Okker || 6–4, 6–2
|-
|57.||Feb 1974||*Bologna WCT ||Carpet (i) || {{flagicon|GBR}} Mark Cox || 6–4, 7–5
|-
|58.||Mar 1974||*[[1974 Barcelona WCT|Barcelona WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Björn Borg]] || 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
|-
|59.||Nov 1974||*[[Stockholm Open]]||Hard (i)||{{flagicon|NED}} Tom Okker || 6–2, 6–2
|-
|60.||Feb 1975||*[[1975 Barcelona WCT|Barcelona WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|SWE}} Björn Borg || 7–6, 6–3
|-
|61.||Feb 1975||*[[1975 ABN World Tennis Tournament|Rotterdam WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|NED}} Tom Okker || 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
|-
|62.||Mar 1975||*[[1975 Munich WCT|Munich WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|SWE}} Björn Borg || 6–4, 7–6
|-
|63.||Apr 1975||*Stockholm WCT ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|NED}} Tom Okker || 6–4, 6–2
|-bgcolor=#EEE8AA
|64.||May 1975||*[[1975 World Championship Tennis Finals|Dallas WCT Finals]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|SWE}} Björn Borg || 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–0
|-style="background:#f3e6d7;"
|-
|65.||Jun 1975||[[Kent Championships]] ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Roscoe Tanner]] || 7–5, 6–4<ref>{{cite news | title=Arthur Ashe tops Tanner | work=The Post Crescent | date=June 15, 1975 | pages=40}}</ref>
|- style="background:#f3e6d7;"
|66.||Jun 1975||*[[1975 Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] ||Grass ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Connors]] || 6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4
|-
|67.||Sep 1975||*[[1975 Pacific Southwest Open|Los Angeles]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Roscoe Tanner || 3–6, 7–5, 6–3
|-
|68.||Sep 1975||*[[1975 Pacific Coast Open|San Francisco]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Guillermo Vilas]] || 6–0, 7–6<sup>(7–4)</sup>
|-
|69.||Jan 1976||*Columbus WCT ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|RHO}} [[Andrew Pattison]] || 3–6, 6–3, 7–6<sup>(7–4)</sup>
|-
|70.||Jan 1976||*Indianapolis WCT ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Vitas Gerulaitis]] || 6–2, 6–7, 6–4
|-
|71.||Feb 1976||*Richmond WCT ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Brian Gottfried]] || 6–2, 6–4
|-
|72.||Feb 1976||*Rome WCT ||Clay ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Lutz || 6–2, 0–6, 6–3
|-
|73.||Feb 1976||*[[1976 ABN World Tennis Tournament|Rotterdam WCT]] ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Lutz || 6–3, 6–3
|-
|74.||Apr 1978||*San Jose||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|RSA|1928}} [[Bernard Mitton]] || 6–7, 6–1, 6–2
|-
|75.||Aug 1978||*Columbus||Clay ||{{flagicon|USA|}} Bob Lutz || 6–3, 6–4
|-
|76.||Sep 1978||*Los Angeles ||Carpet (i) ||{{flagicon|USA|}} Brian Gottfried || 6–2, 6–4
|}

* * 44 Open Era titles listed by the ATP website

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Portal|Tennis}}
* {{cite book|title=Advantage Ashe|last=Ashe|first=Arthur|author2=Clifford George Gewecke|year=1967|publisher=Coward-McCann |location=University of Michigan|page=192|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UcqBAAAAMAAJ |access-date=September 9, 2009}}
* {{cite book |title=Off the court |last=Ashe |first=Arthur |author2=Neil Amdur |year=1981 |publisher=New American Library |isbn=0-453-00400-8 |page=230 }}
* {{cite book |last=Ashe |first=Arthur |author2=Rampersad, Arnold |title=Days of Grace: A Memoir |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |location=New York |year=1993 |isbn=0-679-42396-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/daysofgracememoi00ashe }}
* {{cite book |last=Ashe |first=Arthur |year=1993 |title=A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete |publisher=Amistad |location=New York|isbn=1-56743-006-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/hardroadtoglory00ashe }}
* {{cite book|last1=Collins|first1=Bud|author-link=Bud Collins|last2=Hollander|first2=Zander|author-link2=Zander Hollander|title=Bud Collins' Tennis Encyclopedia|year=1997|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|isbn=978-1578590001|edition=3rd|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/budcollinstennis0000unse}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=McPhee |first=John |year=1969 |title=Levels of the Game – exploring the 1968 U.S. Open semifinal between Clark Graebner and Arthur Ashe|publisher=Farrar, Straus & Giroux|location=New York|isbn=0-374-51526-3}}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe: Tennis Champion |last=Robinson |first=Louie |year=1969 |publisher=Washington Square Press |isbn=0-671-29278-1 |page=135 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqRPAAAACAAJ&q=arthur+ashe |access-date=September 9, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{cite book |author1=Deford, Frank |author2=Ashe, Arthur |title=Arthur Ashe: Portrait in Motion |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=Boston |year=1975 |isbn=0-395-20429-1 }}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe – tennis great |last=Weissberg |first=Ted |author2=Coretta Scott King |year=1991 |publisher=Demco Media |isbn=0-7910-1115-1 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wi-CNgAACAAJ |access-date=September 9, 2009}}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe: against the wind |last=Collins |first=David |year=1994 |publisher=Dillon Press |isbn=0-87518-647-5 |page=128 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wgeSAAAACAAJ |access-date=September 9, 2009}}
* {{cite book |author=Towle, Mike |title=I Remember Arthur Ashe: Memories of a True Tennis Pioneer and Champion of Social Causes by the People Who Knew Him |publisher=Cumberland House Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=1-58182-149-2 }}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe: a biography |last=Steins |first=Richard |year=2005 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-313-33299-1 |page=103}}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe: Young Tennis Champion |last=Mantell |first=Paul |year=2006 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=0-689-87346-8 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOgIQMjFE8QC&q=arthur+ashe+school }}
* {{cite book |title=Endeavor to Persevere: A Memoir on Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, Tennis and Life Kindle Edition | last=Henderson |first=Douglas Jr. |year=2010|publisher=Untreed Reads|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RY3oHqlar1kC|isbn=978-1-61187-039-8}}
* {{cite book |title=Arthur Ashe: A Life | last=Arsenault |first=Raymond |year=2018|publisher=Simon & Schuster|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C2BEDwAAQBAJ|isbn=978-1-4391-8904-7}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Arthur Ashe}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.arthurashe.org/ Official Arthur Ashe Learning Center (AALC) website]
* [https://arthurashe.ucla.edu/ Official UCLA Arthur Ashe Legacy website]
* {{ATP}}
* {{Tennis Hall of Fame|arthur-ashe}}
* {{Davis Cup player}}
* {{ITF}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010215043720/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/features/1997/arthurashe/ Sports Illustrated Arthur Ashe tribute website]
* [http://www.arthurasheinstitute.org/ Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health]
* [http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/ashe.htm FBI files] – Arthur Ashe is mentioned within six references of records maintained within FBIHQ main files concerning the [[Black Panther Party]], the [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]] (SNCC), the Revolutionary Union and two newspaper articles.
* [http://www.ashetennis.org Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education] Manayunk, Pennsylvania
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100414180744/http://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/_doc/HealthClearanceFAQ.pdf UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center]
* {{Internet Archive short film|id=gov.archives.arc.649611|name=Arthur Claims the Gold (1975)}}
* {{Find a Grave|1662}}
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002s2mr Image of Arthur Ashe as a UCLA student firing a backhand volley at Dennis Ralston in the Southern California Intercollegiates, 1964.] [[Los Angeles Times]] Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].
* [https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_529-1z41r6p451 Interview with Arthur Ashe] on [[KUT]]'s "[[In Black America]]" radio series, September 8, 1988, at the [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]]
*{{Charlie Rose guest|53}}
*{{imdb name|0038805}}
*{{discogs artist|Arthur Ashe}}

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{{succession box |
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 |after = {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Björn Borg]]
 | title = [[ATP World Tour Awards#Player of the Year|Player of the Year]]
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{{succession box|title=[[BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|USA}} [[Muhammad Ali]]|after={{flagicon|ROM}} [[Nadia Comăneci]]|years=1975}}
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