This month marks the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe’s U. S. Open victory. As the tennis world, along with some proud Virginians, prepare to commemorate this anniversary, many will visit Battery Park.
It's the location of a formerly-segregated tennis court and now the site of an effervescent mural to Ashe—tucked away in Richmond’s Northside (although it’s documented that Ashe played at Brookfield Park, which no longer exists).
Very few will look to the tennis institution and historical landmark on 1422 Pierce Street, in Lynchburg, Virginia, where young Ashe trained obsessively for 12 to 16 weeks during the summer.
Even fewer will look to the man responsible for cultivating and instilling discipline, sportsmanship and deference in Ashe. Dr. Robert “Whirlwind” Johnson.
Lange Johnson, grandson of Dr. “Whirlwind” Johnson, accepted his late grandfather’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of fame. During our interview, he rattled off a few of his grandfather’s maxims.
“One of my grandfather’s favorite sayings was It can be done,” said Johnson. He says his grandfather was all about paying it forward, using tennis as a vehicle to build honest people. And, as fate would have it, young Lange took up the sport of tennis and would soon find himself holding tight to Ashe’s words of wisdom.
“When he (Ashe) would provide advice, it was sort of like when EF Hutton talks, people listen,” said Johnson. Ashe’s advice manifested in real tangible outcomes. Johnson vividly remembers Ashe telling him to take his racquet back whenever young Lange saw the ball coming. That way, he wouldn’t rush his serve.
Johnson said that same type of tutelage and advice—that his grandfather and Ashe impressed upon tennis players—is lacking today from African-American tennis superstars because the history isn’t being passed down.
“I think the biggest concern that he probably had was making sure that the work he started with Althea and Arthur got continued. And so, he would often say, Don’t close the door behind you,” said Johnson.
Discovering where and under whom Ashe spent his summers in Lynchburg, prompted me to figure out where Ashe played in Richmond, as an adult.
Inquisitiveness of pillars in Richmond’s tennis community fortuitously lead me to a small dinner off Richmond’s West Broad Street where I met Lou Einwick.
“The very first time I met Arthur was over at his father’s home, over on Sledd avenue, here in Richmond. His dad called me up and said Arthur had just come from the Davis Cup,” said Einwick.
“And I came over and met him. And Arthur agreed to play in our tournament, the first tournament was in February of 1966.”
That year, Einwick served as the President of the Richmond Tennis Association (RTA). He added that the 1966 RTA tournament had quite a few ironies baked into it.
“Arthur drew Frank Froehling in the first round, and Froehling upset him,” said Einwick. “And what he found out was the lighting wasn’t very good, and he couldn’t see very well. And right after that, Arthur went out and got himself a pair of eye glasses.”
Einwick says Ashe didn’t just show his face that one year at the RTA Tournament—held at The Richmond Arena off of boulevard in Richmond—saying Ashe was committed to playing in front of his hometown.
Einwick said if you really think about it, Ashe’s 1968 U.S. Open victory started earlier in the year with victories at the RTA tournament and the U.S. Amateur National Championship in Boston. Making Ashe the only man to win the Amateur and Open in the same calendar year (prior to 1968, tennis tournaments were “closed” meaning that only amateurs could compete).
The impetus that Ashe rode in on into the 68’ U.S. Open was unequivocal to many leading experts. Among those experts is Tennis historian Steve Flink, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017. He vividly recounts the atmosphere.
“The final in 1968 between Arthur Ashe and Tom Okker, of the Netherlands was actually played on Monday. There’d been some inclement weather,” said Flink. “The key to the whole match was the first set, I think, because it was a long, drawn out first set. 14-12, for Ashe. He finally broke him.”
When asked how Ashe looked during the final, Flink retorted “supremely confident.” But never through words or facial expressions, that confidence, Flink said, was exhibited through his tennis racquet.
“This combination of the electrifying play. He had great touch on his volleys and he made a lot of beautiful little drop volleys. Dazzling shot making, where he kind of expressed his personality. But always the cool exterior.”
Ashe’s victory at the inaugural U.S. Open in 68’ was quite the feat. And when asked to rank Ashe amongst all other tennis players in the world, that year, Flink said most experts believed that (Rod) Laver was the best player in the world, (Ken) Rosewall number two, and Arthur Ashe, a very strong, number three.
He added that 7 years later—1975, the year Ashe won Wimbledon—experts unanimously ranked Ashe as the best tennis player in the world.
Flink said Ashe hoped his victory at the U.S. Open would serve as a watershed moment for tennis. “He (Ashe) thought we’d see many African-American men compete and win in tennis majors.”
Ashe’s illustrious career ended a bit prematurely after undergoing heart bypass surgery. After garnering three majors, Ashe officially retired from the game of tennis in 1980.
However, Flink said “Ashe was a man who was so much more than the sum of his accomplishments.” Ashe was an education advocate and a civil rights activist who traveled to South Africa to oppose apartheid.
As a result, Ashe is venerated more ecumenically even though he wasn’t the most accomplished player.
“Arthur did things that stretched beyond the confines of the court,” said Flink. “And in that sense, he’s more like Billie Jean King. He’s an iconic figure in the history of tennis.”
Arthur Ashe continues to be a monumental figure in Richmond, and tennis abroad, as he remains the only African-American male to win the U.S. and Australian Opens, along with Wimbledon.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.