Quote

I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments. That's no contribution to society. [Tennis] was purely selfish that was for me.

Arthur Ashe

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Arthur Ashe
Age: 49 †
Born: 1943
Born: July 10
Died: 1993
Died: February 6
Military Officer
Tennis Player
Richmond
Virginia
Arthur Robert Ashe
Jr.
Selfish
Society
Accomplishments
Purely
Accomplishment
Contribution
Tennis
Remembered

More quotes by Arthur Ashe

Image
Seven out of 10 black faces you see on television are athletes. The black athlete carries the image of the black community. He carries the cross, in a way, until blacks make inroads in other dimensions.
Arthur Ashe
Image
Trust has to be earned, and should come only after the passage of time.
Arthur Ashe
Image
Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis.
Arthur Ashe
Image
We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I have always drawn strength from being close to home.
Arthur Ashe
Image
We must believe in the power of education. We must respect just laws. We must love ourselves, our old and or young, our women as well as our men.
Arthur Ashe
Image
A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions.
Arthur Ashe
Image
You've got to make a lot of sacrifices and spend a lot of time if you really want to achieve with this sport, or in any sport, or in anything truly worthwhile.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I have become convinced that we blacks spend too much time on the playing field and too little time in libraries.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I guess I started too early because I just thought it was something fun to do.
Arthur Ashe
Image
True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I don't care who you are, you're going to choke in certain matches. You get to a point where your legs don't move and you can't take a deep breath. You start to hit the ball about a yard wide, instead of inches.
Arthur Ashe
Image
This is my career highlight. Getting to the fourth round in the U.S. Open in my first year in the U.S. Open and first year on the tour.
Arthur Ashe
Image
In America you're conditioned to regard everything as a contest. You have to make the Ten Best Dressed List, win this, win that. It drives me nuts sometimes. Who cares, for Christ's sake?
Arthur Ashe
Image
A couple of times a day I sit quietly and visualize my body fighting the AIDS virus. It's the same as me sitting and seeing myself hit the perfect serve. I did that often when I was an athlete.
Arthur Ashe
Image
Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner.
Arthur Ashe
Image
When we were together, I loved you deeply and you gave me so much happiness I can never repay you.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I strongly believe the black culture spends too much time, energy and effort raising, praising, and teasing our black children about the dubious glories of professional sports.
Arthur Ashe
Image
I take the good with the bad, and I try to face them both with as much calm and dignity as I can muster.
Arthur Ashe
Image
You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.
Arthur Ashe