Arthur Ashe Memorabilia to be Sold at Auction

Written by: Staff on 4th February 2013

Arthur Ashe Memorabilia to be Sold at Auction |

Twenty years after one of tennis’ most iconic figures Arthur Ashe sadly and prematurely passed away, the largest collection of his memorabilia – from his spectacles to a wisdom tooth – are to be auctioned to partially benefit the Arthur Ashe Learning Center.

Ashe’s widow, the acclaimed photographer Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, has decided to auction the collection with Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles in order to financially aid the non-profit foundation that promotes her husband’s legacy as an athlete and activist.

“Arthur Ashe’s life and career is really about the highest highs and lowest lows,” said Sanders as he made plans for the auction that is to be held next Wednesday, February 6.

“As the first African-American to win the men’s singles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, he rose to the very pinnacle of success in tennis and, in the process, willingly became ambassador to the next generation of black athletes,’

The catalogue for the auction includes more than 300 items. Ashe’s 1993 day planner that contains “his own handwritten record of his very last days” with a starting bid of $2,500. The entries include reminders to finish a farewell message to his daughter and a note to cancel an Olympics meeting.

Another treasured item is Ashe’s U.S. passport that includes a landmark 1973 entry stamp into South Africa. He was repeatedly denied entry by the then-apartheid nation to play in the South African Open for years. This has a starting bid of $1,000.

The same starting bid will apply to the US Open doubles trophy silver plate awarded to Ashe in 1968 and his day planner from the year he won Wimbledon.

©Daily Tennis News

Topics: American tennis news, Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe Learning Center, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Sports, Tennis, tennis auction, Tennis Legend, Tennis News