Tags: Tennis Player.
Althea Gibson (August 25 1927 – September 28 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer and the first black athlete of either gender to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956 she became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam title (the French Open). The following year she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor of the U.S. Open) then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years.
