Althea Gibson: The Tennis Trailblazer

Althea Neale Gibson August 25, 1927 – September 28, 2003
Photo source: Library of Congress

As we celebrate Serena and Venus Williams’ ongoing legacies, along with welcoming Naomi Osaka, a legend in the making, it’s important to take a moment to honor one of the first to ever do it, Ms. Althea Gibson.

In 2003, Venus Williams was quoted as acknowledging Gibson’s trailblazing as vital to her and her sister’s pursuit of the sport:

“I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps. Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on.”

Althea Gibson was born August 25, 1927 in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Her parents were sharecroppers in the south until they moved to Harlem. She spent much of her youth focused on sports, including paddle tennis, boxing, and basketball.

In her adulthood, she went on to become the first African American to win the Grand Slam title in 1956. She also won Wimbledon and the US Nationals two years in a row. Both accomplishments predates the height of the Civil Rights Movement which addressed segregation.

Gibson talks about this phenomenon of being an international sports star while simultaneously experiencing systemic racism:

“Shaking hands with the Queen of England was a long way from being forced to sit in the colored section of the bus going into downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.”

This post highlights her as a trailblazer because her career paved the way for the Black Women in tennis today, and because she describes herself as being willing to knock down any barriers in her way:

“People thought I was ruthless, which I was. I didn’t give a darn who was on the other side of the net. I’d knock you down if you got in my way.

This woman is a powerful trailblazer. Althea Gibson, we honor you.

Sources

Content Warning: includes some footage of Little Rock, Arkansas school integration, anti-black violence and state-sanctioned violence, the Civil Rights Movement era