08/26/2026
The woman that broke the color barrier in women's tennis. Altheat Gibson.
Before Serena. Before Venus. There was Althea Gibson.
In 1956, she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam singles title, and she kept going, winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals the following year.
She stepped onto courts that weren't always ready to welcome her and made history anyway. The generations that came after her had a door to walk through because Althea helped open it.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Althea Gibson.