Althea Gibson, (born August 25, 1927, Silver, South Carolina, U.S.—died September 28, 2003, East Orange, New Jersey),
American tennis player
who dominated women's competition in the late 1950s. She was the first Black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships.
What did Althea Gibson accomplish?
Althea Gibson, (born August 25, 1927, Silver, South Carolina, U.S.—died September 28, 2003, East Orange, New Jersey), American tennis player who dominated women's competition in the late 1950s. She was the
first Black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships
.
How did Althea Gibson impact the world?
Besides making history like Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson felt the same sting of racism as the baseball pioneer did just a few years before her. She also later
cracked the color barrier at Wimbledon
. In 1956, Gibson made history by becoming the first black person to win the French championships.
What contribution did Althea Gibson make to society?
Althea Gibson, (born August 25, 1927, Silver, South Carolina, U.S.—died September 28, 2003, East Orange, New Jersey), American tennis player who dominated women's competition in the late 1950s. She was
the first Black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58)
, and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships.
Why is Althea Gibson inspirational?
That's who Althea Gibson was as
the first black player to be able to break the color barrier in our sport
. She was the first to play the US Nationals, to play the French Championships, Wimbledon and the Australian Championships. And not only to play those Grand Slams but to win them.
Who did Althea Gibson marry?
In 1983 she married Sydney Llewellyn, her coach during her peak tennis years. That marriage also ended in divorce, after five years;
she had no children
. In the late 1980s Gibson suffered two cerebral hemorrhages and in 1992, a stroke.
What personal qualities did Althea Gibson have?
The characteristics that make her a hard worker is that she
worked extremely hard to change her actions
. She went from a troublemaker to an inspiring woman for kids like me who enjoy sports. Also every single day she would be on the tennis court for eight hour practicing tennis with her coach.
Is Althea Gibson in the Hall of Fame?
Althea Gibson, (born August 25, 1927, Silver, South Carolina, U.S.—died September 28, 2003, East Orange, New Jersey), American tennis player who dominated women's competition in the late 1950s. She was the first Black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open
(1957–58) singles championships
.
What is Althea Gibson legacy?
Gibson became
the first African American to win a Grand Slam title
by capturing the 1956 French Open title and a year later, became the first African American Wimbledon champion in the tournament's 80-year history. In addition, she was also the first champion to receive the trophy personally from Queen Elizabeth II.
Who inspired Althea Gibson?
Katrina Adams
, a former WTA player who served as president of the USTA from 2015-2018, pays tribute to tennis icon Althea Gibson. The summer I started playing tennis, I saw Arthur Ashe on TV playing the Wimbledon finals. I was one of the lucky kids, I kind of stumbled into the sport when I was six.
What was Althea Gibson early life?
She was the first Black player to win the French (1956), Wimbledon (1957–58), and U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships. Gibson grew up in New York City, where she began
playing tennis
at an early age under the auspices of the New York Police Athletic League.
Who was the first black person to win Wimbledon?
But it took someone like
Althea Gibson
, who was the first African American to win the All-England Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, on July 6, 1957, to pave the way for other blacks in tennis.
How many black players have won Wimbledon?
Ashe
remains the only black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open. He is one of only two men of black African ancestry to win any Grand Slam singles title, the other being France's Yannick Noah, who won the French Open in 1983.
Where did Althea Gibson live when she died?
25, 1927, in Silver, S.C., and lived in
East Orange
for most of the last 30 years. Her foundation, based in Newark, was created to help urban youth develop their skills in tennis and golf. Gibson picked up tennis while growing up in New York, slapping rubber balls off a brick wall.
What was Althea Gibson worth when she died?
Althea Gibson Net Worth: Althea Gibson was an American professional tennis player and professional golfer who had a net worth of
$5 million
at the time of her death. Althea was the first black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis.
