Althea Gibson was the first black woman to win a Wimbelton and Forets Hills tournament in tennis.
She was born on August 25th, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, United States.
Althea grew up in Harlem. Her family was on welfare, and she was a client of the Society for Provention of Cruelty to Children. She had problems at school and often ran away from home.
Althea played paddle tennis in public recreation programs. She had such a talent and interest that she won tournaments sponsored by the police Athletic Leagues and the Parks Department. While sha was playing table tennis, the musician Buddy Walker noticed her and thought she might do well in tennis. So he brought her to the Harlem River Tennis Courts, where she learned the game and became a member of their club(Harlem Cosmopolitan Tennis Club) This club was for African American players. In 1942 Gibson won the girl's singles at the ATA's New York State tournament (The American Tennis Association). She also won i n 1944 and 1945.
Then a wealthy South Carolina businessman opened his home to Althea and supported her while she was studying tennis privatly and went to an industrial high school. In 1953 she became an athletic instructor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
Althea was not allowed to enter other tournaments but the ATA. But in 1950 Alice Marble, a white tennis player, wrote an article in American Lawn Tennis magazine about Althea, who was not allowed to participate in well.known campionships. After this article was printed, Althea Gibson entered the Forest Hills, New York, national grass court championship. She became the first African American player to enter this tournament, of either sex.
She was also the first African American player to enter the huge Wimbledon. In 1957 sha won bouth singles and doubles at Wimbledon. New York city greeted her with a ticker tape parade. In 1958 the book "I Always Wanted to Be Somebody" came out. This book was her first autobiography.
Althea Gibson was the first African American of either sex to break tha color bar in national ang international tournament tennis.
- Nadia Comanescu (a gymnast from Romania)
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- Nancy Kerigan and Tonya Harding (intrigues in iceskating)