On January 28, 1970, Arthur Ashe, the first Black man to win Wimbledon, was denied a visa to compete in the South African Open as part of the U.S. team. The apartheid government of South Africa refused him entry due to his outspoken criticism of its racial segregation policies. Ashe’s exclusion highlighted the intersection of sports and human rights, and he continued to be a vocal advocate against apartheid.
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