Good morning, today on Slazenger’s blog, a store for tennis and golf apparel, we will talk about Althea Gibson, the first great African-American player in women’s tennis.
Althea Gibson’s legacy extends beyond the realm of sports. Growing up as a truant in the rough streets of Harlem, she emerged as an unlikely champion in the highly segregated world of tennis during the 1950s.
Born and primarily raised in the Harlem section of New York City, Althea first made a name for herself by winning a series of titles on the African-American circuit of the American Tennis Association. Despite the immense talent she exhibited, she was initially barred from participating in the major tournaments due to the color of her skin.
However, after breaking through the color barrier in 1950, she went on to become the first black player to win a Grand Slam tournament by triumphing at the French Open in 1956. This victory was followed by an even greater achievement when she won Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958, becoming the first black person to do so. In 1958, she also claimed the U.S. Open title, becoming the first black player to win that tournament as well.
Beyond her accomplishments on the court, Althea Gibson also broke barriers and paved the way for future generations by becoming the first black woman to compete on the professional golf tour in 1963. She later became a member of the LPGA Tour and was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971.
Her life and achievements are a testament to the power of perseverance and the ability to break down barriers in the face of adversity.
At a time when racism and prejudice were widespread in sports and in society, Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson. “Her road to success was a challenging one,” said Billie Jean King, “but I never saw her back down.”
“To anyone, she was an inspiration, because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were Black,” said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.
“I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps,” wrote Venus Williams. “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.”
Making History, becoming a Legend: Althea Gibson
No player, not even the great Arthur Ashe (who came a decade after Althea), overcame more obstacles to become a champion than Althea Gibson; the first African-American to play at (and win) Wimbledon and the US Open was a woman. It wasn’t all a bed of roses. At one point, she even thought of leaving sports all together to join the U.S. Army. A good deal of her frustration had to do with the fact of a white domination.
The breaking point came in 1950 when Alice Mable, a former tennis No. 1 herself, wrote a piece in American Lawn Tennis magazine lambasting her sport for denying a playerof Gibson’s caliber to compete in the world’s best tournaments. Mable’s article caught notice and in 1951, and Gibson made history when she became the first African-American ever invited to play at Wimbledon. A year later, she was a Top 10 player in the U.S. She then climbed even higher, to No. 7 in 1953.
Althea Gibson’ story is really empowering, specially for those women who feel like her and want to become a Legend. If you want to feel like one of the great tennis players of the past, why not try one of our jumpers from the collection of tennis legends.
From Slazenger Heritage, we hope you have enjoyed this post. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.
See you soon!
