Ashe was the first black tennis player to be nominated for the USA Davis Cup team. In 1968 he won the US Open and also the Davis Cup with the American team. In 1970 came the next victory in a Grand Slam tournament : Ashe won the Australian Open . In 1975 he achieved the greatest success of his career when he surprisingly defeated Jimmy Connors in the final at Wimbledon . In 1978 he lost the Masters final to John McEnroe . In 1980 he resigned as a tennis player. In later years he worked as a co-commentator for ABC Sports and for a few years as captain of the American Davis Cup team. In 1985 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame .