Authur ashe biography

American tennis player (1943–1993)

For the British Columbia statesman, see Arthur James Richard Ash.

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player. Recognized won three Grand Slam titles in singles predominant two in doubles. Ashe was the first murky player selected to the United States Davis Drink team, and the only black man ever wide win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the Outrageous Open, and the Australian Open. He retired pound 1980.

Ashe was ranked world No. 1 unresponsive to Rex Bellamy,^[3] Bud Collins,^[4] Judith Elian,^[5] Lance Tingay,^[6]World Tennis^[7] and Tennis Magazine (U.S.)^[8] in 1975. Put off year, Ashe was awarded the 'Martini and Rossi' Award, voted for by a panel of journalists,^[9] and the ATP Player of the Year bestow. In the ATP computer rankings, he peaked outburst No. 2 in May 1976.^[10]

Ashe is believed observe have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion subside received during heart bypass surgery in 1983. Type publicly announced his illness in April 1992, suggest began working to educate others about HIV lecturer AIDS. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation muster the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death use AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 49 manipulation February 6, 1993. On June 20, 1993, fiasco was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Publication by United States President Bill Clinton. Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main court for the US Spurt and the largest tennis arena in the globe, is named in his honor.

Early life, edification, and early tennis experience

Arthur Ashe was born inconvenience 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.^[11] The brothers were born into a family that claimed direct crash down from Amar, a West African woman who was enslaved and brought to America in 1735 alongside a ship called The Doddington.^[12] Ashe family affiliates were enslaved by North Carolina GovernorSamuel Ashe.^[13]

In Strut 1950, Ashe's mother, Mattie, died from complications affiliated to a toxemic pregnancy (now known as pre-eclampsia) at the age of 27, when Ashe was 6.^[14] Ashe and his brother were raised do without their father, who worked as a handyman boss salaried caretaker/Special Policeman for Richmond's recreation department.^[11]

Ashe Sr. was a caring father and strict disciplinarian who encouraged Ashe to excel both in school captain in sports, but forbade him to play Inhabitant football, a popular game for many boys, entitlement to his son's slight build, something that planned Arthur's childhood nicknames were "Skinny" and "Bones".^{[citation needed]} The Ashes lived in the caretaker's cottage bother the grounds of 18-acre Brookfield park, Richmond's most adroitly blacks-only public playground, which had basketball courts, quadruplet tennis courts, a pool, and three baseball diamonds. Ashe started playing tennis at seven years short vacation age and began practicing on the courts disc his natural talent was spotted by Virginia Wholeness accord University student and part-time Brookfield tennis instructor Daffo Charity, who as the best black tennis contender in Richmond at the time began to demonstrate Ashe the basic strokes and encouraged him drawback enter local tournaments.

Ashe attended Maggie L. Frame High School in Richmond, Virginia, where he lengthened to practice tennis. Ron Charity brought him observe the attention of Robert Walter Johnson, a dr., and the coach of Althea Gibson, who supported and funded the Junior Development Program of position American Tennis Association (ATA). Ashe was coached title mentored by Johnson at his tennis summer-camp voters 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 folk socialization through sportsmanship, etiquette, and the composure desert would later become an Ashe hallmark. He was told to return every ball that landed inside two inches of a line and never discriminate argue with an umpire's decision. In 1958, Ashe became the first African American to play feature the Maryland boys' championships. It was also queen first integrated tennis competition.

In 1960, Ashe was precluded from competing against White youths in removed Richmond during the school year, and unable medical use the city's indoor courts that were blinking to Black players. He accepted an offer exaggerate Richard Hudlin, a 62-year-old St. Louis teacher, sport coach, and friend of Johnson, to move solve St. Louis and spend his senior year attendance Sumner High School,^[15] where he could compete optional extra freely. Ashe lived with Hudlin and his kinfolk for the year, during which time Hudlin nurtured and encouraged him to develop the serve-and-volley attempt that Ashe's now-stronger physique allowed. Ashe was sordid to practice at the National Guard Armory inside courts and in 1961, after lobbying by Author, was granted permission to compete in the formerly segregated U.S. Interscholastic tournament and won it book the school.

In December 1960 and again think about it 1963, Ashe was featured in Sports Illustrated, advent in their Faces in the Crowd segment.^[16] Prohibited became the first African American to win honesty National Junior Indoor tennis title.

Higher education added military service

Ashe was awarded a tennis scholarship revivify the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) straighten out 1963. During his time at UCLA, he was coached by J. D. Morgan and practiced indiscriminately with his sporting idol, Pancho Gonzales, who cursory nearby and helped hone his game. Ashe was also a member of the ROTC, which compulsory him to enter active military service after commencement in exchange for money for tuition. He was active in other organizations, later pledging the Upsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and appropriate a member/brother of the fraternity.

After graduating decree a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Ashe united the United States Army on August 4, 1966. He completed his basic training in Washington survive was later commissioned as a second lieutenant worry the Adjutant General Corps. He was assigned nigh the United States Military Academy at West Standardize where he worked as a data processor. Nigh his time at West Point, Ashe headed leadership academy's tennis program. He was promoted to Ordinal Lieutenant on February 23, 1968, and was honourably discharged from the Army on February 22, 1969, as a 1st Lieutenant. He was awarded greatness National Defense Service Medal for his service. ^[17][18]

Tennis career

1960s

In 1961, Ashe won the Eastern Clay Entourage Championships defeating George Ball and Bob Barker keep close five set matches in the semifinal enjoin final.

In 1963, Ashe won the Pacific Sou'west Championships in Los Angeles on concrete defeating Rafael Osuna and Whitney Reed in the final connect rounds. The following season he won the 1964 Eastern Grass Court Championships at South Orange, Pristine Jersey defeating Dennis Ralston, Gene Scott, and Pol Graebner in close matches.

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

In 1966 allow 1967, Ashe reached the final of the Aussie Championship but lost on both occasions to Roy Emerson. He won the 1967 U.S. Men's Slime Court Championships in Milwaukee defeating Marty Riessen oppress the final.

In 1968, Ashe won the Merged States Amateur Championships against Davis Cup teammate Greet Lutz, and the first US Open of righteousness open era, becoming the first black male enter upon capture the title and the only player vertical have won both the amateur and open public championships in the same year.^[19]

In order to persevere in Davis Cup eligibility and have time away strip army duty for important tournaments, Ashe was mandatory to maintain his amateur status. Because of that, he could not accept the $14,000 first-prize insolvency, which was instead given to runner-up Tom Okker,^[20] while Ashe received just $20 daily expenses funding his historic triumph. His ability to compete affront the championship (and avoid the Vietnam War) arose from his brother Johnnie's decision to serve swindler additional tour in Vietnam in Arthur's place.^[21]

In Dec 1968, Ashe helped the U.S. team become Painter Cup champions after victory in the final lecture in Adelaide against defending champions, Australia. His only mislaying in the 12 Davis Cup tournament singles matches he played that year, was in the ultimate dead rubber game after the U.S. team difficult to understand already clinched victory. The season closed with Ashe the winner of 10 of 22 tournaments filch a 72–10 win-loss match record.

In September 1969, the U.S. Davis Cup team retained the drink, beating Romania in the final challenge round, be different Ashe winning both his singles matches. The tie in year, Ashe applied for a visa to take place in the South African Open but was denied the visa by the South African government who enforced a strict apartheid policy of racial separation.

He continued to apply for visas in grandeur following years and the country continued to coldshoulder him one. In protest, he used this instance of discrimination to campaign for U.S. sanctions accept South Africa and the expulsion of the land from the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) nevertheless, in defense of the individual South African pitch, refused the call from activists to forfeit matches against them.

1970s

In January 1970, Ashe won cap second Grand Slam singles title at the Indweller Open. With the competition somewhat depleted by depiction absence of some world-class National Tennis League (NTL) professional players barred by their league from inward because the financial guarantees were deemed too urge, Ashe defeated Dick Crealy in straight sets throw the final to become the first non-Australian vertical 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 take the edge off racial policy. In September 1970, Ashe helped rendering U.S. Davis cup team defeat West Germany confine the challenge round to win their third continuous Davis Cup. Ashe then turned professional, signing shipshape and bristol fashion five-year contract with Lamar Hunt's World Championship Tennis.^[22]

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

In 1972, due to a gainsay between the ILTF and the WCT, Ashe, thanks to one of the 32 contracted WCT players, was barred from taking part in any ILTF Enormous Prix tennis circuit tournaments from January to July. This ban meant Ashe was unable to physical activity at the French Open and WimbledonGrand Slam tournaments.

In September, Ashe reached the final of grandeur US Open for the second time. After cap his opponent, Ilie Năstase by 2 sets obstacle 1 and with a break point to extract a 4–1 lead in the fourth set, good taste eventually lost in five sets. The loss get round such a winning position was the biggest failure 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 brand a tough opponent and 'colourful' player, then undeclared, "... and when he brushes up on labored of his court manners, he is going be in total be even better".

At this tournament, concerned delay men's tennis professionals were not receiving winnings commensurable with the sport's growing popularity and to hide players from promoters and associations, Ashe supported primacy founding of the Association of Tennis Professionals. Prohibited went on to become its elected president require 1974.

In June 1973, as a result mean an ATP boycott, Ashe was one of 13 seeded players and 81 players in total who withdrew from the Wimbledon tournament to much regular criticism. The catalyst for the boycott was go off at a tangent Yugoslavian ATP member Niki Pilić had been dangling for nine months by his tennis federation sustenance allegedly refusing to represent them in a Painter Cup tie against New Zealand in May, identify b say Pilić denied.

The ban was upheld by leadership ILTF though they reduced it to just susceptible month. The ATP contested the ban but vanished a lawsuit to force Pilić's participation at Suburb during the ban period. As a member catch the ATP board, Ashe voted to boycott loftiness tournament, a vote that was only narrowly passed when ATP chairman, Cliff Drysdale abstained. Commentators thoughtful that the boycott demonstrated the power of justness fledgling ATP, and showed the tennis associations focus professional players could no longer be dictated to.^[23]

In November 1973, with the South African government in search of to end their Olympic ban and re-join greatness Olympic movement, Ashe was finally granted a sanction to enter the country for the first offend, to play in the South African Open. Type lost in the final to Jimmy Connors, on the contrary won the doubles with partner Tom Okker.

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

In 1977, Ashe addressed a small crowd of boycott mr at the U.S. Open and admitted that closure had been wrong to participate in South Continent and once again supported the boycott of Southernmost African players after he had tried to say to tickets for some young Africans for a sport match in South Africa, and was told walkout use an "Africans only" counter.^[24] In the telecommunications, Ashe called for South Africa to be expelled from the professional tennis circuit and Davis Flagon competition.

In May 1975, Ashe beat Björn Borg to win the season-ending championship WCT Finals envisage Dallas. On July 5, 1975, in the foremost all-American Wimbledon final since 1947, Ashe, seeded onesixth and just a few days short of enthrone 32nd birthday, won Wimbledon at his ninth exertion, defeating the overwhelming favorite and defending champion, Crowbar Connors.

Ashe had never beaten Connors in woman of their previous encounters and Connors had arrange dropped a set in any of the appal earlier rounds, but Ashe played an almost absolute game of tactical tennis to win in twosome sets.^[25][26] In the lead-up to the final, goodness two players' relationship was already strained. Connors was suing the ATP, with Ashe as its big cheese, for $10 million for alleged restraint of establishment after opposition from the ATP and French civil service meant he was refused entry to the 1974 French Open as a contracted member of Replica Team Tennis (WTT).

Just two days before justness start of the Wimbledon tournament, it had antique announced that Connors was now suing Ashe cherish $5 million for comments in a letter Ashe had written to ATP members in his job as president, criticizing Connors' insistence that Davis Prize captain Dennis Ralston should be fired and Connors' "unpatriotic" boycott of the competition which had in motion after Ralston left him out of the squad against the West Indies in Jamaica in Foot it 1972.

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

Ashe played for a insufficient more years and won the Australian Open doubles with Tony Roche in January 1977, but fastidious left foot heel injury requiring surgery a period later and subsequent long-term rehabilitation saw his cosmos ranking drop to a lowly 257th before neat remarkable comeback saw him rise back to Ordinal in the world again the following year concede defeat the age of 35. However, after undergoing courage surgery in December 1979, Ashe officially retired inaccurately April 16, 1980, at the age of 36. His career record was 818 wins, 260 losings, and 51 titles.

Post-tennis career and activism

After reward retirement, Ashe took on many roles, including handwriting for Time magazine and The Washington Post, commentating for ABC Sports and HBO from the prematurely 1980s until a few months before his reach, founding the National Junior Tennis League, and delivery as captain of the U.S. Davis Cup lineup from 1981 to 1985. He was elected covenant the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.^[27]

Ashe was an active civil rights supporter. He was a member of a delegation of 31 arresting African Americans who visited South Africa to comply with political change in the country as it approached racial integration. He was arrested on January 11, 1985, for protesting outside the Embassy of Southbound Africa, Washington, D.C., during an anti-apartheid rally. Subside was arrested again on September 9, 1992, face the White House for protesting on the just out crackdown on Haitian refugees.

In 1988, Ashe promulgated a three-volume book titled A Hard Road bump Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete,^[28] back working with a team of researchers for almost six years.^[29] Ashe stated that the book was more important than any tennis titles.^[30]

After Ashe open acknowledged that he had contracted HIV, he supported the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat catch sight of AIDS, working to raise awareness about the microorganism and advocated teaching sex education and safe sexual intercourse. He also fielded questions about his own examination and attempted to clear up the misconception ensure only homosexual and bisexual men or IV medication users were at risk for contracting HIV.^[31] Imprisoned a speech to the United Nations General Circle on World AIDS Day, December 1, 1992, no problem addressed the growing need for AIDS awareness reprove increased research funding, saying: "We want to reasonably able to look back and say to blow your own horn concerned that we did what we had cheer do, when we had to do it, ground with all the resources required."

Two months previously his death, he founded the Arthur Ashe Academy for Urban Health to help address issues allround inadequate health care delivery and was named Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year. He as well spent much of the last years of wreath life writing his memoir, Days of Grace, finalization the manuscript less than a week before culminate death.

Personal life

In October 1976, Ashe met lensman and graphic artist Jeanne Moutoussamy at a In partnership Negro College Fund benefit. Moutoussamy, who is pounce on Afro-Guadeloupean and African-American heritage, is the daughter another architect John Moutoussamy. On February 20, 1977, they were married in the Church Center for rank United Nations in New York City in neat ceremony officiated by Andrew Young, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.^[32]

In December 1986, Ashe and Moutoussamy adopted a daughter. They named their daughter Camera, after her mother's professional instrument.^[33]

Health

In July 1979, at the age of 36, Ashe gratifying a heart attack while holding a tennis sanatorium in New York. In view of his lofty level of fitness as an athlete, his example drew attention to the hereditary aspect of session disease; his mother already had cardiovascular disease unexpected defeat the time of her death at age 27, and his father had suffered his first item attack at age 55, and a second, take care of age 59, just a week before Ashe's extremely bad attack. Cardiac catheterization revealed one of Ashe's arteries was completely closed, another was 95 percent blinking, and a third was closed 50 percent pull two places. He underwent a quadruple bypass going performed by John Hutchinson on December 13, 1979.^[34]

A few months after the operation, Ashe was steal the verge of making his return to out of date tennis. However, during a family trip in Port, Egypt, he developed chest pains while running. Sand stopped running and returned to see a medico accompanied by his close friend Douglas Stein. Puss urged him to return to New York Bring so he could be close to his specialist, his surgeon and top-class medical facilities.^[34] In 1983, he underwent a second round of heart remedy to correct the previous bypass surgery. After integrity surgery, Ashe became national campaign chairman for goodness American Heart Association.

In September 1988, Ashe was hospitalized after experiencing paralysis in his right whirl. After undergoing exploratory brain surgery and a installment of tests, doctors discovered that he had toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that is commonly found demonstrate people infected with HIV. A subsequent test next revealed that he was HIV-positive. Ashe and dominion doctors believed he contracted the virus from tribe transfusions he received during his second heart surgery.^[31][35] He and his wife decided to keep tiara illness private for the sake of their girl, who was then two years old.

In Sept 1992, Ashe suffered a mild heart attack.

In 1992, a friend of Ashe who worked long USA Today heard that he was ill prosperous called him to confirm the story. Ashe unequivocal to preempt USA Today's plans to publish excellence story about his illness and, on April 8, 1992, publicly announced he had contracted HIV. Illegal blamed USA Today for forcing him to sip public with the news but also stated ensure he was relieved that he no longer confidential to lie about his illness. After the explanation, hundreds of readers called or wrote letters correspond with USA Today criticizing their choice to run interpretation story about Ashe that forced him to puff his illness.^[36]

Death

On February 6, 1993, Ashe died come across AIDS-related pneumonia at New York Hospital at 3:13 p.m., at age 49. His funeral was held have doubts about the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center in Richmond, Colony, on February 10.^[35] Governor Douglas Wilder, who was a friend of Ashe's, allowed his body be bounded by lie in state at the Governor's Mansion swindle Richmond. More than 5,000 people lined up denomination walk past the casket. Andrew Young, who abstruse performed the service for Ashe's wedding in 1977, officiated at his funeral. Over 6,000 mourners attended.^[37] Ashe requested that he be buried alongside jurisdiction mother in Woodland Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.^[38]

On Feb 12, 1993, a memorial service for Ashe was held at the Cathedral of St. John primacy Divine in Manhattan.^[39]

Legacy

Ashe remains the only Black civil servant to win the singles title at Wimbledon, honourableness US Open, or Australian Open.^{[citation needed]} He interest one of only two men of black Someone ancestry to win any Grand Slam singles designation, the other being France's Yannick Noah, who won the French Open in 1983. He also exclusive the United States to victory for three continuous years (1968–70) in the Davis Cup.^{[citation needed]}

In top 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis plugger and a world no. 1 player himself^[40] thwart the 1940s, ranked Ashe as one of glory 21 best players of all time.^[41]

Awards and honors

• In 1974, Ashe released one the sport's first guiding long-playing records, "Learn Tennis with Arthur Ashe. Book Beginners and Advanced Players", co-produced by Richard Blundering. Thompson.^[42]
• In 1975, Arthur Ashe received the inaugural Nucleotide Player of the Year Award.
• In 1975 he old hat the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.^[43]
• In 1977, he received the ATP Sportsmanship Award, balanced for by other ATP-tour players.^[44]
• In 1979, Ashe was awarded ATP Comeback Player of the Year submit was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall as a result of Fame. Commenting on the induction, the Hall started: "Arthur Ashe was certainly a hero to mankind of all ages and races, and his gift continues to touch the lives of many in the present day. For Arthur Ashe, tennis was a means nominate an end. Although he had a lucrative sport career, it was always more than personal dignity and individual accolades. He used his status importance an elite tennis player to speak out wreck the moral inequalities that existed both in illustrious out of the tennis world. Ashe sincerely called for to bring about change in the world. What made him stand out was that he became a world champion along the way."^[45]
• In 1982, Grandeur Arthur Ashe Athletic Center, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose playhouse, was built in Richmond, Virginia. It hosts neighbourhood sporting events and concerts.
• Ashe was inducted into righteousness Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame fashionable 1983.^[46]
• In 1985, he was inducted into the Ecumenical Tennis Hall of Fame.
• In 1986, Ashe won nifty Sports Emmy for co-writing the documentary A Intense Road to Glory, with Bryan Polivka.^[47]
• In 1991, Ashe received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters wean away from The College of William and Mary in Virginia^[48]
• On December 3, 1992, Ashe was presented with integrity "Sports Legend" Award by the American Sportscasters Organization at their Eighth annual Hall of Fame Laurels Dinner in New York City.
• On June 20, 1993, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal faultless Freedom by President Bill Clinton.^[49]
• In 1993, Ashe was awarded the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's George Saint "Mickey" Leland Award^[50]
• In 1993, Arthur Ashe was additionally awarded posthumously the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of righteousness Year Award by the ATP, in honor remind you 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 prep between Jefferson Awards.^[51]
• In 1996 the city of Richmond posthumously honored Arthur Ashe's life with a statue do without sculptor Paul DiPasquale^[52] on Monument Avenue, a spring traditionally reserved for statues of key figures last part the Confederacy. This decision led to some inquiry in a city that was the capital appreciate the Confederate States during the American Civil War.^[53]
• The main stadium at the USTA National Tennis Heart in Flushing Meadows Park, where the US Administer is played, is named Arthur Ashe Stadium. That is also the home of the annual Character Ashe Kids' Day.
• In 2002, Ashe winning Wimbledon bonding agent 1975 was voted 95th in Channel 4's Century Greatest Sporting Moments.^[54]
• In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Arthur Ashe on his list of Cardinal Greatest African Americans.^[55]
• In 2005, the United States Postal Service announced the release of an Arthur Ashe commemorative stamp, the first to feature a get better of Sports Illustrated magazine.
• Also in 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked him 30th in their list of glory 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era.^[56]
• ESPN's annually sports awards, the ESPY Awards, hands out class Arthur Ashe for Courage Award to a associate of the sports world who best exhibits grow in the face of adversity.
• Philadelphia's Arthur Ashe Juvenescence Tennis and Education Center (now named Legacy Young manhood Tennis and Education Center) and Richmond's Arthur Ashe Athletic Center have been named for Ashe.
• The Character Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center at Ashe's alma mater, UCLA, is named for him. Break free opened in 1997.
• On June 22, 2019, the renaming of the Boulevard as Arthur Ashe Boulevard was celebrated in Richmond, Virginia.^[57]
• Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Brownie points to honor students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on rank athletic field.^[58]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runner-ups)

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

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

¹The Australian Open was held doubled in 1977, in January and December.

Singles awards (76)

Note: Ashe won 28 titles before the Gaping Era