This is the life story of the great African American tennis player. Born in the segregated South in 1943, Ashe overcame racial prejudices and segregation to break into the world of tennis, which had traditionally been dominated by whites. He rose to the top of the sport, winning three Grand Slam trophies and playing on the U.S. Davis Cup team. His tennis career came to an abrupt end when he suffered a heart attack while in his thirties. Ashe began a post-tennis career that included speaking out on social issues that mattered most to him. After contracting the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion, he began to speak out on the subject of AIDS in order to help people understand the disease. Steins tells Ashe's inspiring story in terms of his being a great tennis champion whose skills on the court as well as his exceptional and honourable personal characteristics made him stand out among all players of his generation. A timeline and other appendices highlight Ashe's career and life. Part of the "Greenwood Biographies" series, this is the only book on the subject for this readership.