Before Serena Williams and Venus Williams there was Althea Gibson.
On the eve of the historic likely final major tournament for the Williams sisters, Gibson was honored by New York City as the street she grew up on in Harlem on West 143rd street was named “Althea Gibson Way” in her honor on what would have been her 95th birthday August 25, 2022.
The presentation featured speeches from many tennis and community leaders, including former USTA President and Harlem Junior Tennis program head Katrina Adams and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. A video summary of the ceremony can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ESv1Bp_r8
Gibson broke the color barrier in tennis when she was the first black player to compete at the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills in 1950. She became the first black player to win the U.S., French and Wimbledon singles titles. In 1956, she was the first black player to win a major singles title at the French Championships. In 1957, she won both at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. She repeated as champion at both events in 1958. A black woman would not win another major singles title until Serena Williams won the 1999 U.S. Open.
In 2019, the U.S. Tennis Association and the U.S. Open paid homage to Gibson by erecting a statue in her honor on the grounds of the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center. Earlier this year, New Chapter Press republished Gibson’s autobiography “I Always Wanted To Be Somebody” (for sale and download here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559971/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_1J4HBHNA3SNXM1DMH7F4
