Arthur Ashe spent his life in constant struggle. Beginning with the death of his mother when he was seven years old, Ashe would overcome discrimination at a young age and go on to become the first African-American to win a Grand Slam Tournament. Ashe spent considerable time working for civil rights and other philanthropic causes. He died at the age of 49 from AIDS. He had contracted HIV from a blood transfusion. In 1997, the new main stadium where the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament would be played was named after Arthur Ashe.
