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1st Lt.U.S. Army · U.S. Military Academy, West Point

Tennis · US Open 1968 · Wimbledon 1975

b. 10 Jul 1943 · Richmond, Virginia · d. 6 Feb 1993

A lieutenant at West Point won the very first US Open — while on active duty.

US OPEN 1968 · AUSTRALIAN OPEN 1970 · WIMBLEDON 19751ST LIEUTENANT, U.S. ARMY · U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINTINTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME, 1985
Arthur Ashe reaching for a serve
Lt. Arthur Ashe in U.S. Army uniform

TWO UNIFORMS

Serving · the open era

REC · ASHE · DOSSIER

Service record

  1. 01

    UCLA ROTC · commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating in 1966

  2. 02

    Systems analyst (data processing) and assistant tennis coach at West Point, 1967–69

    3. 25:20 · YOUTUBE · CBS NEWS · FACE THE NATION

    From the Archives: Arthur Ashe on “Face the Nation” in 1968

    Ashe on national television in 1968 — a serving lieutenant stationed at West Point, in the year he won the first US Open.

    7:34 · YOUTUBE · SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

    Ashe ’68

    The feat itself — the 1968 US Open, won by a serving Army lieutenant.

  3. 03

    Won the first US Open, 1968, while a lieutenant on active duty · promoted 1st Lieutenant February 1968 [verify]

Did you know

His younger brother Johnnie, a Marine, volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam so Arthur would not be sent — the Army did not deploy brothers to a war zone at the same time (UCLA).

BIRTHDAY

July 10

FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS

Observances

  • JUL 10Arthur Ashe born, 1943
  • NOV 11Veterans Day
  • LAST MON · MAYMemorial Day

Personal timeline · birth → service → career → honors

  1. 10 Jul 1943

    Born in Richmond, Virginia. Begins tennis at seven on the courts of Brookfield Park, a segregated playground beside his home.

  2. 1963

    First African-American chosen to play Davis Cup for the United States.

  3. 1965

    NCAA singles and doubles champion; UCLA wins the national team title.

  4. Jun 1966

    Graduates from UCLA, where he was in the campus ROTC program.

  5. 1967

    Enters the Army as a second lieutenant for a two-year tour; systems analyst and assistant tennis coach at West Point.

  6. 1968

    Wins the first US Open of the open era while a lieutenant on active duty. Promoted first lieutenant in February [verify].

  7. Jan 1969

    Turns professional after his military service ends.

  8. 1970

    Australian Open champion.

  9. 1975

    Wimbledon champion, defeating top seed Jimmy Connors.

  10. 1981–86

    Captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

  11. 1985

    International Tennis Hall of Fame.

  12. 6 Feb 1993

    Dies of AIDS-related pneumonia, having contracted HIV from a blood transfusion after heart surgery.

Related films · Kevin Clark's channel

Arthur Ashe on film.

4:46 · 7 SEP 2026 · KEVIN CLARK

Victory by Valor — Trailer

The marquee. From segregation to celebration.

HERO · Victory by Valor — poster

11:36 · 8 MAY 2021 · KEVIN CLARK

HERO · Victory by Valor

The long-form cut.

Sources for this dossier

  1. 01International Tennis Hall of Fame · Arthur Ashe
  2. 02Library of Virginia · Dictionary of Virginia Biography: Arthur Ashe
  3. 03UCLA Newsroom · Brother of Arthur Ashe made decision that kept tennis legend out of war

Anything marked [verify] has not yet been confirmed against a primary source. Full ledger on the Scholars page.