Achievements and Awards

Arthur Ashe’s Achievements

  • Arthur graduated 1st in his class in high school.
  • Arthur is the only black male tennis player to win Wimbledon (1975) and the U.S. Open (1968)
  • Davis Cup member 1963, 1965-1970, 1975,1977-1978
  • Davis Cup captain 1966, 1967, 1971
  • First (and only) African-American to be ranked #1 in the world
  • Received honorary doctorates from numerous higher institutions during his lifetime from Dartmouth College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Princeton University, Saint John’s University, Trinity University, Hartford College, and Virginia Union University.
  • First African-American ever picked for US Davis Cup team (1963)
  • Won NCAA individual and team (UCLA) championships (1965)
  • Won three Grand Slam singles titles: 1968 US Open, 1970 Australian Open, and 1975 Wimbledon, during his 10-year playing career (1969-1979)
  • Elected as President of ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) in 1974
  • Selected as captain of Davis Cup team in 1981
  • Inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985

Arthur Ashe’s Awards

  • Wins the National Interscholastic’s, 1960
  • Wins the U.S. Men’s Hardcourt championships, 1963
  • National College Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American, 1963-1965
  • Winner of 1964 Johnston Award, prestigious honor awarded annually to the American tennis player who contributes the most to the growth of the sport while exhibiting good sportsmanship and character.
  • NCAA singles and doubles champion, 1965
  • Wins U.S. Open Tennis Championships, 1968
  • Wins Australian Open, 1970
  • Wins French Open doubles title with Marty Riessen, 1971
  • Wins South African Open doubles title with Tom Okker, 1973
  • Wins Wimbledon singles title, 1975
  • Named Player of the Year, Association of Tennis Profiles, 1975
  • Wins Australian Open doubles title with Tony Roche, 1977
  • Laurel Wreath Award from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, 1986
  • Inducted into UCLA Sports Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Eastern Tennis Association Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Professional Tennis Association Hall of Fame
  • A Hard Road To Glory, Ashe’s three-volume history of the African-American athlete that chronicles progress made and obstacles overcome from the period 1619-1918, was published in 1988 and soon thereafter adapted for television, ultimately winning an EMMY Award.
  • Received honorary doctorates from numerous higher institutions during his lifetime from Dartmouth College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Princeton University, Saint John’s University, Trinity University, Hartford College, and Virginia Union University.
  • Named Sport Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1992.
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient (1993)
  • A tennis club in Manayunk, Pennsylvania, has been named in Ashe’s honor.
  • Center named the Ashe Athletic Center in Richmond, Virginia.
  • Statue erected on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, 1996.
  • Stadium named in his honor in Flushing Meadow, New York, 1997 where the US Open is held.