Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was born in South Carolina in 1927. She moved to Harlem in New York City as a child. She became the first African American to play in and win big tennis tournaments. Later she also played pro golf, the first Black woman to do so.

Starting Out

Althea first played a game called paddle tennis on the streets of New York. People saw she was good and gave her real tennis lessons. For a long time, Black players were not allowed in big tennis events. In 1950, she became the first Black player at the U.S. National Championship.

Champion

Althea won the French Championships in 1956. Then she won Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958. The Queen of England gave her the trophy at Wimbledon. She was even celebrated with a big parade in New York City.

Fun Facts

• She was named Female Athlete of the Year twice by the Associated Press.
• She once sang and played the saxophone in a Broadway show.
• A statue of her stands at the U.S. Open tennis center.

Did You Know?

Althea Gibson opened the door for Black tennis stars like Venus and Serena Williams.