Althea Gibson

Hello! My name is Althea Gibson, and I was a tennis champion. I was born on August 25th, 1927, in a small town in South Carolina. When I was a little girl, my family moved to a busy neighborhood called Harlem in New York City. I had so much energy and I loved to run, jump, and play all kinds of sports right on my street!

One day, I discovered a game called paddle tennis. I was a natural! I could hit the ball harder and faster than anyone else. A kind man named Buddy Walker saw me playing and thought I could be a star in real tennis. He bought me my very own tennis racket! Soon, I was taking lessons and learning how to play on a big court. I started playing in tournaments for African American players and began winning in 1947.

Back then, things were very different. The biggest tennis tournaments in the country would not let Black people play. It wasn't fair, but I never gave up on my dream. I kept practicing and winning. Finally, in 1950, I was invited to play at the U.S. National Championships. I was the very first African American person to ever compete there. It was a huge moment, and I knew I had to play my best.

I traveled all over the world to play tennis. In 1956, I won a huge tournament called the French Championships. Then came my biggest dream! In 1957, I traveled to England and won Wimbledon, the most famous tennis tournament in the world. The Queen of England even congratulated me! That same year, I came back home and won the U.S. Nationals, too. I felt like I was on top of the world!

After I stopped playing tennis, I tried other things, like becoming a professional golfer and even singing. I wanted to show that you can do anything you set your mind to. I lived to be 76 years old. I hope when people hear my story, they remember that I worked hard and opened a new door for other athletes to follow their dreams, no matter who they are or where they come from.