Althea Gibson played professional tennis in the 1950s, winning 11 major singles and doubles titles. Her performances made her one of the game's most successful female players. But Gibson is also notable for being one of the first African-American players in pro tennis. She helped open the door for more players to enter the sport in the years to come.
Early Years
Althea Gibson was born in South Carolina in 1927, but she moved to Harlem, New York, at an early age. Though naturally athletic and interested in sports, Gibson dropped out of high school. While on welfare, Gibson learned tennis through recreation clubs in Harlem. Her first coach, Fred Johnson, spotted her potential and encouraged Gibson to join the American Tennis Association, a competition reserved for black players. She won her first title in the ATA in 1947.
Major Tournaments
In the late 1940s and at the start of 1950, the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, or USLTA, still didn't allow black participants. However, after some lobbying from journalists and other tennis players such as Alice Marble, the USLTA allowed Gibson to compete in the U.S. Nationals in New York in 1950. She was the first African-American to do so. The following year, she became the first African-American to play at Wimbledon. Her success on the court in the major tournaments wasn't immediate.
Titles
It took until 1956 for Gibson to win her first major title -- the French Open. From there, she went on to dominate women's tennis for the next few years. She won Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958 and the U.S. Nationals in 1957 and 1958. She also won three consecutive French Open doubles titles from 1956 to 1958, a Wimbledon doubles title, the U.S. mixed doubles championship and the women's doubles title at the Australian Open. Her domination of women's tennis earned her the Female Athlete of the Year award in 1957 from the Associated Press, making Gibson the first African-American to receive the honor.
1960s and Beyond
Gibson stopped playing competitive tennis in 1968. This followed spells of trying the pro golf circuit in 1961 and even trying to make it as a singer. After retirement from the game, Gibson continued to coach younger tennis players. Her interest in the power of athletics to transform young lives led to positions as the New Jersey Commissioner of Athletics and a role on the board of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness. Gibson died of respiratory failure at age 76 in East Orange, New Jersey, on Sept. 28, 2003.
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