Althea Gibson: First Black Tennis Champion – Fast Facts | History

Althea Gibson was a trailblazer in the enormously segregated sport of tennis. Find out more about her achievements and influence in this video.

Gibson was a revolutionary American tennis player, the first Black athlete to win a Grand Slam title (French Open 1956), and the first to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (now U.S. Open) in 1957 and 1958, breaking racial barriers in tennis and becoming a global icon. After her historic amateur career, she became the first Black woman on the LPGA Tour, proving her dominance across multiple sports and inspiring generations of athletes. Gibson won 11 major titles, including singles titles at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Nationals. She broke the color barrier for Black athletes in tennis and was voted athlete of the year two years in a row.

Explore the life of Althea Gibson:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/althea-gibson

Listen to live coverage of Gibson’s ’57 Wimbledon victory:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/althea-gibson/speeches/gibson-wins-us-championship

This Day in History: July 6, 1957:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/althea-gibson-is-first-african-american-to-win-wimbledon

Learn more about the accomplishments of black women in sports:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-women-in-sports

Celebrate Black history today and every day:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history

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