Donald Dell talks relationship with Arthur Ashe

Donald Dell is regarded as the first tennis agent in history and one of the father's of sport's marketing. He recently came on the TENNIS.com Podcast to talk about one of his clients, Arthur Ashe.

Dell and Ashe's playing years slightly overlapped, and when Dell became the youngest Davis Cup captain in 1968, he had Ashe on his team alongside the likes of Stan Smith, Bob Lutz and Charlie Pasarell.

"A lot of it was timing; in the early 1970s the game went more and more professional and there was more prize money," Dell said. "Because I'd been the Davis Cup captain and winning for two years, I was really the first professional agent in tennis anywhere in the world."

As captain and player, Dell and Ashe would win the Davis Cup title in 1968 and '69. Their relationship would develop quickly, as Ashe would be the one to encourage Dell to become an agent.

After Dell had tried four times to get Ashe to sign with IMG's Mark McCormack, Ashe said he really wanted to hire Dell instead.

"We were driving down and he turns to me and says, 'Why don't you do it? Why don't you manage me?" Dell said.

At that stage, Dell was starting up his law career having picked up his degree from the University of Virginia in 1964. He  would open his own law office, which turned into his agency, ProServe. Ashe and Smith were his first clients.

"Both Arthur and Stan were on a handshake," Dell said. "Arthur and I went on for 23 years on a handshake and Stan and I are still together 47 years on a handshake. That tells you a lot about the character of those two people."

As everyone knows, Ashe was far more than just a tennis champion. He was a trailblazer for the black community, breaking down barriers and setting a great example for generations to come. At a speech, Ashe would name his father and Dell as the two people he would most trust with his life.

"He was one of the strongest, quietest characters that you'd ever meet," Dell said. "He had very strong beliefs."