Althea Gibson was an American professional tennis player and golfer who broke racial barriers as the first Black player to compete in and win a Grand Slam tennis tournament. She won multiple major singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Championships in the late 1950s, and later became one of the first Black players on the women's professional golf tour.
Facts
Career HighlightIn 1956, became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event, the French Open. 1 Classification
Competition Category Connections
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Althea Gibson
Wikipedialead paragraph, sentence 1 (birth date clause)
Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927, September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis.
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Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927, September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis.
lead paragraph, sentence 1 (death date clause)
Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927, September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis.
lead paragraph, sentence 1 (death year clause)
Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927, September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis.
lead paragraph, sentence 1 (nationality clause)
Althea Neale Gibson (August 25, 1927, September 28, 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis.
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In 1956, she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event (the French Open).
Wikipedia, article summary lead
In all, she won 11 Grand Slam titles: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Which Grand Slam tournament did Althea Gibson win first?
The French Open, in 1956.
In 1956, Althea Gibson became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event when she won the French Open.
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