Althea Gibson will not be down for breakfast

[Whitebeard]

Former Wimbledon winner Althea Gibson has died at the age of 76.
The tennis star, who helped to break down colour barriers in sport, was the first black woman to compete at the US Open in 1950 and at Wimbledon in 1951.

And she went on to win both titles in 1957 and 1958, also adding a French Open to her list of honours.

Gibson had been seriously ill for years and died at East Orange General Hospital in New Jersey.

She was responsible for raising the profile of black athletes at a time when prejudice was common.

Gibson won her first tournament at 15, becoming the New York State black girls' singles tennis champion.


After her ground-breaking appearances at the US Open and Wimbledon, she was almost driven out of the game due to a loss of form.
But, in 1956, she took her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, also winning 13 other tournaments that year.

She won two more Grand Slams in each of the following two seasons, being afforded the rare privilege of a ticker-tape parade in New York.

An all-round sporting talent, Gibson took up golf in 1960, becaming the first black woman on the LPGA tour in 1962.

But she failed to match her success in tennis, failing to win a tournament.

[GTS Dean]

My tennis coach was a contemporary of Gibson's. They played Davis Cup matches together. Gibson was as dominant a player in her time as Serena Williams is now.