History-making tennis star Althea Gibson is being celebrated at the US Open this year. Monday would have been her 98th birthday. And 75 years ago today, Gibson became the first Black player to take part in the US National Championships. She led the way, making life easier for many future athletes of color.
As a young girl in Harlem, which was then a largely Black area of New York City, Gibson played paddle tennis – a game similar to tennis. At the age of 12, she became New York’s female paddle tennis champion. As a result, several people encouraged her to take up tennis. They supported her with training and lessons, and she learned quickly.
At the time, there were severe limits on people of color in the US. There were rules and attitudes that controlled what people who weren’t white could do, and where they could do it. This was something Gibson would struggle against for much of her life.
(Source: Fred Palumbo (NYWTS) [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
In those days, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) didn’t allow Black players in their tournaments. So African-Americans created their own tennis organization, the American Tennis Association (ATA). In 1944 and 1945, Gibson won the ATA national girls’ championship. In 1947, she won the ATA national women’s championship. She did that for 10 years in a row.
Despite her success, Gibson couldn’t play in USTA tournaments. Players could only get into a tournament if they were invited. And you got invited by winning points in tournaments held at clubs where only white people were allowed.
Finally, in 1950, after many people complained, Gibson was invited to play in the US National Championships – the tennis championship now known as the US Open. Gibson didn’t win that year, but she made history just by playing.
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Finally, in 1950, Gibson was invited to play in the US National Championships – now known as the US Open. Gibson won her first match on August 28, 1950, against Britain’s Barbara Knapp. Above, the two talk with reporters. Though she lost in the second round, she made history just by playing.
And she kept making history. In 1956, Gibson won the French Championship – her first Grand Slam victory. (There are four “Grand Slam” contests, considered the biggest prizes in tennis.)
In 1957, Gibson became the first Black person to win Wimbledon – another Grand Slam. When she returned to New York, the city held a special parade for her. The next month, she won the US National Championships. In 1958, she won these same two Grand Slam events again. She also won a number of doubles Grand Slams.
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In 1957, Gibson became the first Black person to win Wimbledon – another Grand Slam. When she returned to New York, the city held a special parade for her. The next month, she won the US National Championships. In 1958, she won these same two Grand Slam events again. Above, Gibson playing at Wimbledon in 1958.
But in spite of her success, life was hard. These tournaments offer large money prizes now. But back then, they didn’t. Gibson had to give up playing tennis.
This year, the US Open is honoring Althea Gibson, who passed away in 2003. They’re calling the event “Celebrating 75 years of breaking barriers”. These days there are many star athletes of color in tennis and other sports. These include tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams, who were huge fans of Althea Gibson.
Arthur Ashe, another of the early Black stars of tennis, said of Gibson, “She was the one who had the courage to be the first, and when she did that, she made it possible for all the rest of us.”
Did You Know…?
Althea Gibson was a boxer, basketball player, and bowler. She also sang and played the saxophone. After she stopped playing tennis, she tried other things to make money, including recording an album of songs and appearing in a movie.
At 37, Gibson became the first Black woman to take part in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. She faced problems here, too. Because of her skin color, she often wasn’t allowed into the clubs, and sometimes wasn’t even allowed to play. But she was one of the top-earning female golf pros of the time, and ranked as high as 27th.