Althea Gibson (Aug 25,1927 -Sep 28,2003)

Althea Gibson was the first African American athlete of either gender to cross the color line of international tennis

On Aug 22,1950,the officials of the US Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) accept Althea Gibson into their annual championship at Forest Hills, New York making her the first African-American player to compete in a U.S. national tennis competition

Althea Gibson started playing tennis at the age of 14 and the very next year won her first tournament, the New York State girls' championship, sponsored by the American Tennis Association (ATA)


In 1949, Gibson attempted to gain entry into the USLTA's National Grass Court Championships at Forest Hills, the precursor of the U.S. Open

On August 28, 1950, Gibson beat Barbara Knapp 6-2, 6-2 in her first USLTA tournament match. She lost a tight match in the second round to Louise Brough, three-time defending Wimbledon champion

In 1956 Althea Gibson became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam -French Open Title

In 1957 Althea Gibson won both Wimbledon and the U S Nationals (precursor of the US Open), then won both again in 1958, and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years

Grand Slam Women's Singles Title Won by Althea Gibson

• French Open in 1956
• Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958
• US Open in 1957 and 1958

Grand Slam Women's Double Title Won by Althea Gibson
Australian Open in 1957
French Open in 1956
Wimbledon in 1956,1957 and 1958
US Open in 1957

Althea Gibson's 1956 Wimbledon doubles trophy was the first Wimbledon Trophy won by an African American

In all she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments, including six doubles titles



Recognition and Honours

Althea Gibson holds the Wimbledon women's singles tennis trophy while being kissed by her finals opponent, Darlene Hard

 



  
Althea Gibson received a ticker tape parade upon her return to New York after winning Wimbledon(became only the second black American – after Olympic athlete Jesse Owens to be honoured with a ticker-tape parade in New York)

In 1980 Althea Gibson became one of the first six inductees into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame

In 1991 Gibson became the first woman to receive the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the highest honor from the National Collegiate Athletic Association

Sports Illustrated for Women named her to its list of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes

On opening night of the 2007 U.S. Open, the 50th anniversary of her first victory at its predecessor, the U.S. Championships, in 1957,Althea Gibson was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions

Althea Gibson completes a backhand groundstroke in bronze in Newark, NJ, near the courts (in background) on which she ran clinics for young players in her later years