Author: Annie Lanahan, Laurel Springs, '24
For tennis players, July is surrounded by a fortnight of excitement for grass courts and strawberries in honor of Wimbledon. It’s also the perfect time for everyone to remember and reflect on a cultural tennis icon, Althea Gibson, and her first trip to the All England Club. Not only was it her first time competing on Wimbledon’s flawless grass stage, but Althea was also the first black athlete to compete there in 1951. Although she lost in the third round, her presence as a competitor helped open doors for future generations of tennis players, female athletes, and athletes of color.
Despite falling in her first appearance, Althea became the first black player to win Wimbledon in 1957, ultimately finishing her career with 5 Wimbledon titles in singles and doubles. She held the number one ranking in the world and became one of the first six women inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, as well as earning countless other honorary recognitions, scholarships, and awards. Her athletic achievements helped propel tennis and athletics towards a more inclusive community for both players and fans. On top of the racial inequalities and limitations in American sports at the time, women’s opportunities and visibility in sports were still lacking, and the ability to see a female athlete of color in the 1950s was undoubtedly impactful on every aspiring young girl across America.
Althea’s debut Wimbledon victory was followed by even more incredible success and recognition, including a presidential trophy ceremony and a parade through New York City. However, the path to women’s equality in sports, especially for women of color, remained and continues to be an ongoing endeavor. From lopsided salaries to incomparable facilities to biased media critiques, unequal treatment has proven to be a more deeply embedded issue than many people realize. Although player representation has improved, athletic organizations still need more diverse racial and gender portrayal on boards and in leadership positions. This Wimbledon season, with 6 black Americans competing for the title - five of them female - fans should take a moment to appreciate how Althea Gibson’s groundbreaking career helped better American sports and inspire female athletes to work hard towards their goals.
Citations:
“Althea Gibson Becomes First African American to win Wimbledon.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 24 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/althea-gibson-is-first-african-american-to-win-wimbledon.
“Althea Gibson: A Peerless Pioneer.” Play Tennis & Learn the Game, 26 Feb. 2021, www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/althea-gibson--a-peerless-pioneer.html.
International Tennis Hall of Fame, www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/althea-gibson.
Wimbledon.com, www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws/index.html?event=MS.
Graphics by Mansi Vadyala
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