"When I was holding the cup, I never asked God, 'Why me?'" - Arthur Ashe's emotional letter to a fan during his last days
It has been nearly three decades since Arthur Ashe's unfortunate and untimely demise, but his thoughts still strike a chord with tennis fans.
He is known to be among the biggest advocates of racial equality and civil rights in the world of sports. At the age of 36, he suffered a heart attack. The American was forced to retire from professional tennis due to bypass surgery. In 1983, he suffered his second heart attack and during treatment for it, he is believed to have contracted HIV from blood transfusions.
After he revealed to the world his illness in 1992, the star received a lot of letters from his fans from around the world. Among the letters was a fan who asked Ashe:
”Why did God have to select you for such a bad disease?”
The wise former player decided to respond to it with a heartfelt message, urging the person to enjoy life.
"50 million children started playing tennis, five million learnt to play tennis, 500,000 learnt professional tennis, 50 thousand came to the circuit, five thousand reached Grand Slam, 50 reached Wimbledon, four reached the semifinals, two reached the finals and when I was holding the cup in my hand, I never asked God, 'Why me?' So now that I’m in pain, how can I ask God, 'Why me?'," Ashe wrote.
"Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failure keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only faith keeps you going. Sometimes you're not satisfied with your life, while many people in this world dream of living your life. A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead, dreams of flying, while a pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home."
"That’s life. Enjoy yours. If wealth is the secret to happiness, then the rich should be dancing on the streets. But only poor kids do that. If power ensures security, then VIP’s should walk unguarded. But those who live simply, sleep soundly. If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships, then celebrities should have the best marriages. Live simply, be happy. Walk humbly and love genuinely," he concluded.
How did Arthur Ashe spend his last years?
By winning the 1968 US Open, the 1970 Australian Open, and the 1975 Wimbledon, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win three singles titles. He also played a vital role in America's five Davis Cup victories.
During his last years, the icon tried to raise awareness about HIV as he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He breathed his last on February 6, 1993.