Tomorrow there will be an historical tennis match at the stadium named after arguably the most famous male black American tennis player of all times Arthur Ashe.
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He won three Grand Slam singles titles. He was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open.
Arthur Ashe came out of nowhere and became a hero and inspiration for young black tennis players around the world to follow as he won many several Major Titles plus the Olympics.
It's only fitting that tomorrow a black American and Canadian tennis player will battle it out on a court named after Arthur at the U.S. Open.
Both of these players show great promise.
The first time I ever heard of Frances Tiafoe was when I watched in person as he was introduced to the world by Serena Williams as her doubles partner in the last Hofman cup tennis tournament which was played in Perth in 2019.
I jumped at the opportunity to go there because although I've been to three grand slams I had never seen Roger Federer play in person.
My lifetime dream was fulfilled.
The bonus was that it turned out that it was the first time Roger, arguably the best tennis player that has ever played up into this point, played head-on against Serena Williams who without question is the best women's tennis player to ever live.
A fond memory for sure.
I was not impressed with Frances at this showing and according to his own words he wasn't impressed as well.
But since then he has gone on to beat some big opponents.
His opponent tomorrow, Felix Auger Alissime is another name I didn't hear about although he was born in my home country of Canada.
I call him Mr. cool because unlike his fellow Canadian tennis player Shapolova who is currently ranked seventh and lost today badly today.
Felix is cool under pressure and rarely shows emotions.
Any seasoned tennis player will tell you that emotions can make up to 20 to 30% of a person's game.
Once you lose your emotions and envision yourself losing sure enough you will lose in most cases.
So history will be made tomorrow morning at 7 AM Bali time 7 PM on the East Coast of America in New York City when these two young aggressive and very talented North Americans fend off against each other.
It's going to be a very interesting match and naturally I am hoping for our young Canadian Felix to take the win.
Arthur Ashe
Jump to navigation Jump to searchArthur Ashe, winning the 1975 ABN World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam | |
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1943 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 6, 1993 (aged 49) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Turned pro | 1969 (amateur tour from 1959) |
| Retired | 1980 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $1,584,909 (ATP) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1985 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 1085–337 (76.3%) in pre Open-Era & Open Era[1] |
| Career titles | 76 [1] (44 open era titles listed by ATP) |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1968, Harry Hopman)[2] No. 2 (May 10, 1976) by ATP |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1970) |
| French Open | QF (1970, 1971) |
| Wimbledon | W (1975) |
| US Open | W (1968) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1978) |
| WCT Finals | W (1975) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 323–176[a] |
| Career titles | 18 (14 Grand Prix and WCT titles) |
| Highest ranking | No. 15 (August 30, 1977) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1977) |
| French Open | W (1971) |
| Wimbledon | F (1971) |
| US Open | F (1968) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1963, 1968, 1969, 1970) |
Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He retired in 1980. He was ranked world No. 1 by Harry Hopman in 1968 and by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph and World Tennis Magazine in 1975.[2][4] In the ATP computer rankings, he peaked at No. 2 in May 1976.[5]
Ashe is believed to have contracted 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, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the United States President Bill Clinton.
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