South Carolina Native Althea Gibson Chosen for Southern Tennis Corridor of Fame – Tennis Now

Althea Gibson was a trailblazing athlete who remodeled the world of tennis and past. Extensively celebrated as the primary Black to cross the game’s most entrenched racial obstacles, Gibson’s profession exemplified braveness, excellence and resilience. Her life journey, from humble beginnings within the segregated South to the heights of worldwide tennis stardom, solidified her standing as a pioneer whose impression prolonged far past the court docket.
Born in Silver, S.C., in 1927, Gibson moved along with her household to Harlem in New York Metropolis at a younger age. As a teen, she gravitated towards sports activities, excelling in paddle tennis earlier than being launched to organized tennis by the American Tennis Affiliation (ATA). With mentorship from Dr. Hubert Eaton of Wilmington, N.C., and Dr. Robert Johnson of Lynchburg, Va., Gibson developed her abilities and self-discipline. Throughout her time in North Carolina, she gained 10 straight ATA Ladies’s Singles Championships, a basis for her later dominance on the world stage. She attended the racially segregated Williston Industrial Excessive College in Wilmington and graduated in 1949. She attended Florida A&M College on an athletic scholarship.
Gibson made historical past in 1950 when she grew to become the primary Black participant to compete within the U.S. Nationwide Championships (now the US Open). A yr later, she broke one other barrier by competing at Wimbledon. Her perseverance and expertise paid off in 1956 when she captured the French Open singles title, turning into the primary Black participant—male or feminine—to win a Grand Slam match. She went on to dominate the late Fifties, profitable Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958, in addition to back-to-back titles on the U.S. Nationals. She was named the 1957 Feminine Athlete of the 12 months by the Related Press. In whole, she secured 11 Grand Slam championships: 5 in singles, 5 in doubles and one in blended doubles.
Her accomplishments weren’t restricted to titles. In 1957, the Worldwide Tennis Federation ranked her World No. 1, making her the highest feminine tennis participant globally. She was additionally inducted into the Worldwide Ladies’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame, the Black Tennis Corridor of Fame, the Ladies’s Corridor of Fame, the New Jersey Corridor of Fame, and the Larger Wilmington Sports activities Corridor of Fame.
That very same yr, she broke yet one more barrier as the primary Black lady to seem on the covers of Time and Sports activities Illustrated. Her grace beneath stress and her exceptional sportsmanship earned her widespread respect, regardless of the racial discrimination she confronted all through her profession. She was usually excluded from locker rooms, accommodations, and golf equipment as a consequence of segregation.
Following her retirement from aggressive tennis within the early Sixties, Gibson continued to have a long-lasting affect on the game. She served as a instructing professional on the Forest Hills Nation Membership in Queens, N.Y., and labored to broaden entry to tennis. Later, she was named New Jersey State Commissioner of Athletics, turning into one of many first Black girls to carry a state-level sports activities management place. In that function, she promoted youth sports activities, bodily schooling and equal alternatives in athletics.
In 1963, Gibson grew to become the primary black golfer within the Girls Skilled Golf Affiliation. She performed in 171 occasions over the following 15 years. She additionally had a profession as a vocalist and
Gibson’s legacy was acknowledged by quite a few honors. She was inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in 1971, the primary Black to obtain the excellence.
Different accolades adopted, together with inductions into these halls of fame: Worldwide Ladies’s Sports activities, Nationwide Ladies’s, South Carolina Tennis, South Carolina Sports activities and the Black Tennis and Wilmington N.C. Sports activities. She was additionally celebrated by establishments such because the Smithsonian and the Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition. In 2013, the US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in her honor, guaranteeing that her story would proceed to encourage future generations. In 2025, she was commemorated along with her picture on 1 / 4, accompanied by the phrases “trailblazing champion.”
Her Southern roots additionally remained a major a part of her legacy. The Althea Gibson Tennis Advanced in Wilmington, N.C., honors her impression by serving as a group hub for tennis and youth improvement. In 2003, shortly after her passing, she was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Braveness Award, recognizing her resilience, integrity and contributions to sport.
Gibson’s character was as extraordinary as her achievements. Identified for humility, generosity, and a giving spirit, she devoted a lot of her post-competitive life to mentoring younger gamers and instructing tennis in underserved communities.
In 2025 the USTA celebrated the seventy fifth anniversary of Gibson’s historic entry into the U.S. Open. Citing Gibson’s braveness and perseverance, the USTA unveiled the theme of “Celebrating 75 Years of Breaking Obstacles.”