60+ Arthur Ashe Quotes From The Inspirational American Tennis Player

Why Arthur Ashe Quotes?

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. was a tennis player born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1943. He began playing tennis when he was six.

In 1975, Tennis Magazine, World Magazine, Lance Tingay, Judith Elian, Bud Collins, and Rex Bellamy ranked Ashe Jr. world number one. Arthur Ashe was the first Black player chosen to play for the United States Davis Cup team.

Several of his quotes embody courage, success, leadership, and life. These quotes will inspire people, young and old. Ashe quotes not only question your dedication level but also make you ask yourself if you are working hard enough to turn your dreams into reality.

So buckle up and keep moving. Enjoy these Arthur Ashe quotes in books, quotes about Arthur Ashe, and more.

What Parents Should Know

• During his teenage years, Arthur Ashe could not compete much during the school year due to limited opponents. 
• Before his death from pneumonia due to AIDs, Arthur Ashe founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health and the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. 
• Around the '80s, Arthur Ashe was an active supporter of civil rights. He was arrested twice for protesting the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, D.C., and the White House. 

What To Discuss With Kids

• Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. is a hero as the first black man to be selected for the Davis Cup (United States of America's team).
• Arthur always believed in the ideology that "success is a journey" and encouraged people to enjoy the dense yet beautiful journey as one life of opportunity.
• Hard work, willpower, and dedication are the keys to success and destination. Dedicate yourself to the journey, and you will eventually make it to your destination.

Notable Quotes By Arthur Ashe

1. "Clothes and manners do not make the man, but where he is made they greatly improve his appearance."

2. "What it is controlled cool, in a way. Always have the situation under control, even if losing. Never betray an inward sense of defeat."

3. "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."

4. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

5. "I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full."

6. "When we were together, I love you deeply and you gave me so much happiness I can never repay you."

7. "A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions."

8. "There is a terrific apprehension among some people that blacks will take over the sport…It will create problems because their behavior, speech, and dress is just a completely different culture."

9. "The ideal attitude is to be mentally loose and physically tight."

10. "Racism is not an excuse to not do the best you can."

11. "I guess I started too early because I just thought it was something fun to do."

Arthur Ashe Famous Quotes

12. "I have always tried to be true to myself, to pick those battles I felt were important. My ultimate responsibility is to myself. I could never be anything else."

13. "Fear isn't an excuse to come to a standstill. It's the impetus to step up and strike."

15. "I have tried to keep on with my striving because this is the only hope I have of ever achieving anything worthwhile and lasting."

16. "Trust has to be earned, and should come only after the passage of time."

17. "When bright young minds can’t afford college, America pays the price."

18. "I may not be walking with you all the way, or even much of the way, as I walk with you now."

19. "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."

20. "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 Inspirational Quotes

21. "I accepted the fact that as much as I want to lead others, and love to be around other people, in some essential way, I am something of a loner."

23. "You learn about equality in history or civics; but you find out life is not really like that."

24. "Happiness keeps you sweet, trial keep you strong; sorrow keeps you human, failure keeps you humble."

25. "From what we get, we can make a living. What we give; however, makes a life."

26. "If I were to say ‘God, why me?’ about the bad things, then I should have said ‘God, why me?’ about the good things that happened in my life."

27. "If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life."

28. "It doesn't have to glitter to be gold."

29. "Believe me, most people resist change, even when it promises to be for the better. But change will come, and if you acknowledge this simple but indisputable fact of life, and understand that you must adjust to all change, then you will have a head start."

30. "I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments."

31. "The best way to judge a life is to ask yourself, "Did I make the best use of the time I had?"

32. "There is a terrific apprehension among some people that blacks will take over the sport...It will create problems because their behavior, speech and dress is just a completely different culture."

33. "I strongly believe the black culture spends too much time, energy and effort raising, praising and teaching our black children about the dubious glories of professional sports."

34. "My potential is more than can be expressed within the bounds of my race or ethnic identity."

35. "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."

36. "Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it."

37. "Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis."

38. "There is a syndrome in sports called 'paralysis by analysis."

39. "Clothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance."

40. "I accepted the face that as much as I want to lead others, and love to be around other people, in some essential way, I am something of a loner."

Arthur Ashe Legacy Quotes

41. "My only true regret, however, is that now that I see the world more clearly than ever, as I believe I do, I don’t seem to have the time left to translate my visions into action as I would like."

42. "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."

43. "I wish more of us could understand that our increasing isolation, no matter how much it seems to express pride and self-affirmation, is not the answer to our problems."

44. "I accepted the fact that as much as I want to lead others, and love to be around other people, in some essential way, I am something of a loner."

46. "I take the good with the bad, and I try to face them both with as much calm and dignity as I muster."

47. "You come to realize that life is so short, and you have to step up. Don't feel sorry for me. Much is expected of those ho are strong."

48. "Not everyone can be Number 1."

49. "Let me put it this way: I think Republicans tend to keep the ball in play, Democrats go for broke."

50. "I have always drawn strength from being close to home."

51. "I'm very happy for him... He was heartbroken here once... But that's all over now. I told him he had to face these things in life... to make a man of himself."

53. "Always have the situation under control, even when losing. Never betray an inward sense of defeat."

54. "Most people resist change, even when it premises to be for the better. But change will come and if you acknowledge this simple but indisputable fact of life and understand that you must adjust to all change, then you will have a head start."

55. "Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory."

57. "Someone once told me that God figured that I was a pretty good juggler. I could keep a lot of balls in the air at one time. So He said, “Let’s see if he can juggle another one."

58. "Whenever you feel sick at heart and weary of life, or hen you stumble down and don't know if you can get up again, think of me. I will be watching and smiling and cheering on."

59. "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy."

60. "We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy."

61. "One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."

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