Remembering Arthur Ashe, Tennis Pioneer

A quick post to point out a date worth noting. On this day in 1993, the tennis star Arthur Ashe passed away from complications from the AIDS virus. (He contracted AIDS from a faulty blood transfusion.) Ashe had spent much if his life fighting against deeply entrenched discrimination in the tennis world. Look at the sport today and his efforts can be seen, though some would argue too sporadically. Tennis is far from diverse, but the rise of stars like Serena and Venus Williams and James Blake was aided in large part by Ashe’s dogged spirit, by his devotion to the sport and to equality.

To honor the day, here’s a video of Ashe playing Jimmy Connors in the legendary 1975 Wimbledon finals. Ashe won and the video captures this victory.

via Arthur Ashe, Tennis Star, Is Dead at 49.