Inspirational Quotes by Althea Gibson (American Tennis Player)

Althea Neale Gibson (1927–2003) was an American tennis player who dominated women’s competition in the late 1950s. One of the first black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title (the 1956 French Championships.)

Born in Silver, South Carolina, Gibson grew up in Harlem, New York, where she caught the attention of Robert Walter Johnson, a American physician. The latter founded a tennis development program for African-American youths (he later mentored Arthur Ashe too.) Gibson continued to play in tournaments around the country while attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee.

In 1951, Gibson became the first black player ever invited to the Wimbledon tournament. Gibson soon became noted for her dominating serves and powerful play. After the 1956 French Championship, Gibson became the first black player to win at Wimbledon (1957–58) and the U.S. Open (1957–58) singles championships. She won 11 Grand Slam tournaments: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title. In 1964, she became a professional golfer, and she served as New Jersey’s commissioner of athletics 1975–85.

Gibson’s autobiography is I Always Wanted to Be Somebody (1958.)

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