Arthur Ashe (1943–1993) was a highly accomplished and influential American tennis player, as well as an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes. He was born on July 10, 1943, in Richmond, Virginia, and began playing tennis at a young age.
Ashe rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s and is best known for his victory at the 1968 US Open, where he became the first African American man to win a Grand Slam singles title. This historic achievement marked a significant milestone in the history of tennis and African American athletes.
Tragically, Arthur Ashe contracted HIV through a blood transfusion during heart surgery in the early 1980s. He publicly disclosed his diagnosis in 1992, raising awareness about HIV and AIDS. Ashe passed away on February 6, 1993, but his legacy continues to inspire and resonate in the realms of sports, civil rights, and humanitarian efforts. The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented annually at the ESPY Awards to individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage in the face of adversity.
1. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
2. "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."
3. "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."
4. "I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments."
5. "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
6. "To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can."
7. "Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel it out."
8. "The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight."
9. "You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
10. "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."
11. "From what we get, we can make a living. What we give, however, makes a life."
12. "We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy."
13. "Racism is not an excuse to not do the best you can."
14. "I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full."
15. "I firmly believe you never should spend your time being the former anything."
16. "If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life."
17. "I have always drawn strength from adversity."
18. "The most important thing about getting somewhere is starting right where we are."
19. "The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value."
20. "I may not be walking with you all the way, or even much of the way, as I walk with you now."
21. "Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory."
22. "I always had the attitude that I wanted to break new ground. To be the first, to achieve something no one else had achieved before. I guess I had a bit of pioneer spirit."
23. "You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
24. "The world over — 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi-final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?'"
25. "Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations."
26. "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."
27. "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
28. "A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion."
29. "I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments."
30. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
31. "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."
32. "To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can."
33. "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."
34. "Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel it out."
35. "The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight."
36. "You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
37. "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."
38. "From what we get, we can make a living. What we give, however, makes a life."
39. "We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy."
40. "Racism is not an excuse to not do the best you can."
41. "I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full."
42. "I firmly believe you never should spend your time being the former anything."
43. "If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life."
44. "I have always drawn strength from adversity."
45. "The most important thing about getting somewhere is starting right where we are."
46. "The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value."
47. "I may not be walking with you all the way, or even much of the way, as I walk with you now."
48. "Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory."
49. "I always had the attitude that I wanted to break new ground. To be the first, to achieve something no one else had achieved before. I guess I had a bit of pioneer spirit."
50. "You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
These quotes reflect Ashe's wisdom, resilience, and commitment to excellence both on and off the tennis court.