Breaking Barriers

Within the world of Black tennis, Gibson dominated. However, in a country segregated by race, she was denied opportunities outside of the ATA that were afforded to white tennis players. Gibson was not the only one tired of the fact that she was barred from engaging in her craft on a larger scale. Others began to lobby on her behalf in 1950, with white tennis players such as Alice Marble and Sarah Palfrey advocating for her. Marble wrote in support of Gibson in American Lawn Tennis, proclaiming “If Althea Gibson represents a challenge to the present crop of players, then it’s only fair that they meet this challenge on the courts,” (International Tennis Hall of Fame). Though slow, movement to include Gibson began to increase following Marble and Palfrey’s support. 

In the spring of 1950, she competed in the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association Grass Court Championships located in Orange, New Jersey. This competition was prestigious. Gibson made it to the second round before losing to her opponent. August of that same year, Gibson was permitted into the U.S. Nationals where she made history as the first African American to compete. When asked how she felt about competing by friend Sarah Palfrey, Gibson confidently stated: “I am not afraid of any of these players,” (International Tennis Hall of Fame).

At the U.S. Nationals, she made it to the second round and competed against  Wimbledon champion Louise Brough. This match was marked by unfortunate events, with “torrential rain and a massive thunder and lightning storm [rolling] in,” (International Tennis Hall of Fame). The match was postponed. Once resumed, Gibson was defeated by Brough. A year later, Gibson went international and competed in Montego Bay. Jamaica. That summer, she also became the first African American to play at Wimbledon - a tennis tournament that was founded in 1877. She lost, though the best of her tennis career was yet to come.

Making Waves at Wimbledon and Beyond

Years later in 1956, Gibson won the French Championships. This propelled her into international acclaim, as she was also the first African American to win. In 1957, she would  achieve one of the most celebrated parts of her career: winning both that year’s Wimbledon tournament (both doubles and singles) in addition to the U.S. Nationals. In each of the competitions, she was the first African American to win (Schwartz). After her Wimbledon win, she received the Venus Rosewater Dish from Queen Elizabeth II. That night, she then attended the Wimbledon Ball (Jacobs 2022). At the Nationals, Gibson was presented with the trophy by Vice President Richard Nixon. Overjoyed at her successes, New York City welcomed her with a parade (Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame). As if these were not stunning accomplishments all on their own, Gibson would go on to repeat each of these wins in 1958.

 Associated Press named her Female Athlete of The Year in 1957 and 1958. Those same years, she was also on the Wightman Cup U.S. women team. As of 1957, they defeated the United Kingdom; ultimately, Gibson was presented with a medal in Pakistan for her contributions to the team (National Museum of African American History and Culture). In 1958, she decided to no longer engage in amateur matches and sought out professional opportunities to make ends meet. Her experiences then became varied, including: “touring with the Harlem Globetrotters and played paid exhibition matches. Branching out to other areas, she recorded a jazz album for Dot Records, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and even landed a role in a John Wayne/John Ford movie, The Horse Soldiers (1959)” (PBS 2015).

Though she played for a decade more, Gibson  transitioned from a tennis player to a tennis teaching pro in 1958.  In the early 1960s, Gibson also tried her hand at golf. During this time, she became the first black golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and played 171 events from 1963-1977. Though she did not have nearly the same amount of success as she had once had with tennis (she never won a golf tournament), her involvement in the sport undoubtedly paved the way for other people of color (Alvarez 2017). During this time, Gibson also married twice. Once in 1965 to William Darben (the couple divorced in 1975) and then to previous tennis coach Sydney Llewellyn in 1983. Llwellyn and Gibson split in 1988, though they remained close friends (PBS 2015). 

While Gibson broke barriers in tennis and golf, she was not without critique. Throughout her career, some commentators took issue with her race and gender, expecting “timidity” and “finesse,” of her tennis playing (National Museum of African American History and Culture). Gibson, however, was an assertive and dynamic player who was unconcerned with ideas of femininity – especially as far as tennis was concerned. Other critics felt that she was not vocal enough about the struggled faced by African Americans, even as she herself experienced racial discrimination. Gibson did not actively attend or participate in rallies and protestsIt is said that, following her big wins in 1957, “… she was denied rooms at hotels. One refused to book reservations for a luncheon in her honor,” (Jacobs 2022, Schwartz). Though difficult to experience, Gibson asserted that she did not care (Schwartz). She remained committed to tennis, confident that her mastery of the sport spoke for itself in opening doors for others in her community.

Later Life and Legacy

Despite her skill, recognized through trophies and emphasized by other professional players alike, life was not always smooth sailing for Gibson. Between the discrimination she faced, and the financial hardship brought on following her career in tennis, Gibson was no stranger to struggle. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 76 while living in East Orange, New Jersey, due to respiratory failure. In the wake of her passing, her impact in the world of sports can be seen directly by examining the careers of many players such as Arthur Ashe, Zina Garrison and Serena and Venus Williams (Jacobs 2022). 

Gibson’s contributions have also been recognized on an even larger scale, as she was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971, the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Black Athletes Hall of Fame in 1974 (Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame). Additionally, as of 2022, 143rd Street in Harlem was renamed Althea Gibson Way (Jacobs 2022). A life-size statue of a teenage Gibson is set to be placed at the end of the block (Jacobs 2022). In 2025, a United States quarter depicting Gibson will enter circulation as part of the American Women Quarters Program. Her  impact has been celebrated far and wide, though it is her own words that sum up her life and legacy best: “I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it’s half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.”