Every few years, there is a player that changes the face of a sport.  In the case of tennis in the late 1960s, the player was Arthur Ashe, who was one of the sport’s top competitors during his prime.

On this day, December 12th, in 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American to ever be ranked #1 in tennis. In 1968, Ashe won both the United States Amateur Championships and the US Open.

In his career, Ashe won 33 career title, including victories at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He retired from play in 1980 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.