In 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first African American man to win the US singles championship. Ashe began playing tennis at the age of seven. Virginia Union University student and part-time Brookfield tennis instructor, Ron Charity, who was the best black tennis player in Richmond spotted Ashe’s natural talent and decided to coach him. Soon Ashe began winning local tournaments and in 1958, Ashe became the first African American to play in the Maryland boys’ championships. It was also his first integrated tennis competition. In 1963, Ashe became the first African American to win the National Junior Indoor tennis title and was awarded a tennis scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles. As a professional, Ashe is the only African American man to win a Grand Slam title. Ashe has won both the singles title at the Wimbledon, US Open, and French Open.
