It’s only natural that the Australian Open is still fresh in our minds, having just opened the Grand Slam season. It will stretch all the way to September, at the US Open. And when you think of the New York-based tournament, it’s impossible not to think of Arthur Ashe.
Arthur Ashe Stadium is one of the most famous venues there is in tennis, and its namesake is most deserving of the honor.. Ashe was a three-time Grand Slam champion, winning every major except for the French Open. What he was able to accomplish was unprecedented for an African-American player. It also established a legacy well beyond Ashe's playing years, which Venus and Serena Williams have carried on admirably.
Ashe didn't just do a lot between the lines. His most significant impact came off the court, where some have called him “tennis’ exemplary activist.”