The Army West Point men's tennis team has announced that its tournament this fall, starting on Oct. 28, will be named in honor of Arthur Ashe. Ashe has a special connection to West Point. He was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was stationed at the U.S. Military Academy when he won the 1968 U.S. Open. In addition to his military duties, he was an assistant coach for the Army men's tennis team during his tenure at West Point.
"We're very excited to be naming this tournament that Arthur Ashe Invitational because Arthur Ashe has done a lot for West Point and tennis," Army head men's tennis coach Jim Poling said. "He was a second lieutenant in the Army and he trained and got ready for the U.S. Open here at West Point." This fall marks the 50th anniversary of his victory at Forest Hills, so Army West Point wanted to honor that victory with the naming of the Arthur Ashe Invitational.
"He worked with the team and they all loved him and there are some great stories out there about what he did for them while he was an assistant coach at West Point," Poling said. "He was a great man and we are happy add his name to help build the tournament. It's a great tournament. We have teams from all over the nation every year. "It's unique because the teams live with a family for the weekend and they learn a lot about West Point, so when they leave here, they love it. Not everyone knows about West Point so when these teams come and play in the tournament, they always say it's the best event they have played in." This year's field includes St. Bonaventure, Marist, St. John's, NJIT, UConn and Sacred Heart.