Althea Gibson Statue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

On the opening day of the 2019 US Open, the trailblazer African-American professional tennis player Althea Gibson got the recognition she deserved when her statue got dedicated outside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest tennis stadium in the world, named after the pioneer African-American tennis player, Arthur Ashe.

Althea Gibson (1927-2003) played tennis as a kid in Harlem, New York City. She started playing professionally in her teenage years and, from 1947 to 1957, won the American Tennis Association women’s titles.

In 1950, Gibson became the first African-American to compete in the US Nationals.

A year later, Gibson started competing internationally and made her Wimbledon debut. In 1956, she became the first African-American athlete to win a Grand Slam tournament at the French Championships singles event. She also won the doubles title with Briton Angela Buxton.

Until her retirement in 1958, Gibson won 56 national and international singles and doubles titles, including 11 majors, and was the first black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Nationals. Gibson had accomplished all that while struggling financially and suffering from racism in many places she competed.

After retiring, she played professional golf for a while, becoming the first Black player to compete on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour and join the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Among those involved in the campaign to place Gibson’s statue were the legendary tennis player Billie Jean King and former president and CEO of the Us Tennis Association, Katrina Adams.

The sculptor Eric Goulder created it, depicting Gibson’s bust on five granite blocks. Her quote is inscribed on one of the blocks: “I hope that I have accomplished just one thing: that I have been a credit to tennis and my country.”

An augmented reality experience, narrated by Billie Jean King, provides the visitors with information about the life story and accomplishments of Gibson.

Another statue of Gibson stands in New Jersey.