Best Arthur Ashe Quotes

Arthur Ashe was African American to win the men’s singles at Wimbledon and the U.S Open. He was the first black American to be ranked world’s No.1 professional tennis player. He has won the Grand Slam title three times. Below are some of the popular as well as insightful quotes by Arthur Ashe.

1. “It seems like it’s a lucky place for me,” - Arthur Ashe
2. “If you’re paid before you walk on the court, what’s the point in playing as if your life depended on it?” - Arthur Ashe
3. “You come to realize that life is short, and you have to step up. Don’t feel sorry for me. Much is expected of those who are strong.” - Arthur Ashe
4. “Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. Not everyone can be Number One.” - Arthur Ashe
5. “To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe
6. “When bright young minds can’t afford college, America pays the price.” - Arthur Ashe
7. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
8. “My potential is more than can be expressed within the bounds of my race or ethnic identity.” - Arthur Ashe
9. “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
10. “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
11. “There’s no better stage than the U.S. Open for me,” - Arthur Ashe
12. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
13. “I don’t want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments.” - Arthur Ashe
14. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
15. “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” - Arthur Ashe
16. “What it is controlled cool, in a way. Always have the situation under control, even if losing. Never betray an inward sense of defeat.” - Arthur Ashe
17. “I needed to play 100 percent to win this match.” - Arthur Ashe
18. “When we were together, I loved you deeply and you gave me so much happiness I can never repay you.” - Arthur Ashe
19. “You’ve got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.” - Arthur Ashe
20. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
21. “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.’” - Arthur Ashe
22. “The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight.” - Arthur Ashe
23. “I guess I started too early because I just thought it was something fun to do.” - Arthur Ashe
24. “Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis.” - Arthur Ashe
25. “I just proved to myself that I can do it and that I’m up there with the best of them.” - Arthur Ashe
26. “Clothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance.” - Arthur Ashe
27. “There is a syndrome in sports called “paralysis by analysis.”” - Arthur Ashe
28. “I hope you have a good day,” - Arthur Ashe
29. “Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing you keep challenging it.” - Arthur Ashe
30. “It’s a pretty big stadium, … It will be an experience I never forget.” - Arthur Ashe
31. “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” - Arthur Ashe
32. “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
33. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
34. “Today was very difficult, he is a very good player,” - Arthur Ashe
35. “I have tried to keep on with my striving because this is the only hope I have of ever achieving anything worthwhile and lasting.” - Arthur Ashe
36. “A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions.” - Arthur Ashe
37. “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
38. “I had a great U.S. Open. I couldn’t have asked for more,” - Arthur Ashe
39. “Trust has to be earned, and should come only after the passage of time.” - Arthur Ashe
40. “It’s an amazing feeling to have, I find it very hard to believe,” - Arthur Ashe
41. “I have always drawn strength from being close to home.” - Arthur Ashe
42. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe
43. “You learn about equality in history and civics, but you find out life is not really like that.” - Arthur Ashe
44. “I can’t believe I pulled this match out today, … A lot of credit to Nadia; she played amazing. I don’t know what I’m doing here.” - Arthur Ashe
45. “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
46. “Let me put it this way: I think Republicans tend to keep the ball in play, Democrats go for broke.” - Arthur Ashe
47. “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
48. “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
49. “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.” - Arthur Ashe
50. “Do not feel sorry for me if I am gone.” - Arthur Ashe
51. “I’m waiting for the alarm clock to go off and I’m going to wake up, … I can’t believe how well things are going. This is a dream come true.” - Arthur Ashe
52. “Racism is not an excuse to not do the best you can.” - Arthur Ashe
53. “I may not be walking with you all the way, or even much of the way, as I walk with you now.” - Arthur Ashe
54. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” - Arthur Ashe
55. “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
56. “Arthur Ashe Jr. is a true Virginia hero, and he belongs here” - Arthur Ashe
57. “We blacks look for leadership in men and women of such youth and inexperience, as well as poverty of education and character, that it is no wonder that we sometimes seem rudderless…. We see basketball players and pop singers as possible role models.” - Arthur Ashe

Exceeding were few of the greatest quotes by Arthur Ashe, we hope that you must have enjoyed reading them. If you have more quotes by Arthur Ashe, do share the same in through your comments.