"Our first person, our Jackie Robinson was Althea Gibson." - Billie-Jean King
"Althea Gibson paved the way for all people of color in sport. She won Wimbledon in 1957. I have held that same plate. Thank you, Althea." - Serena Williams
"I am grateful to Althea Gibson for having the strength and courage to break through the racial barriers in tennis. She knocked down walls that gave us more freedom to concentrate on the game. . . . Through beneficiaries like me, Serena, and many others to come, her legacy will live on." - Venus Williams
"Being a champion is all well and good, but you can't eat a crown... No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you." - Althea Gibson
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Trailblazing Althea Gibson became the first great African-American player in tennis. After battling entry to the major tournaments, only available to white players, she became the first black player to win Wimbledon, the French and U.S. Open titles. Widely regarded as one of the most talented athletes in the world, Althea overcame racism and segregation to break barriers in tennis and golf and paved the way for talented athletes of all races to compete. In 1957 she was ranked #1 in the world and won a total of 11 Grand Slam Titles.
Althea’s tremendous feats continue to inspire generations of athletes from all races and walks of life, but her inspiration is not limited to sports alone and our Academy Award® winning writer will bring Althea's incredible story to script.
