The legendary Billie Jean King acknowledged another legend, Althea Gibson, on her 95th birthday by posting a heartfelt tweet on her official Twitter account.
Althea Gibson was an American tennis player and professional golfer. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title. She won the French Open to etch her name on the history books. Gibson won both the Wimbledon and the US Open titles in 1957 and 1958. Her best result at the Australian Open came in 1957 when she reached the final.
The former World No. 1 breathed her last on September 28, 2003, in East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. She was 76 years old at the time of her demise.
Another former World No. 1 Billie Jean King put out an emotional tweet showering praise and showing respect for the legendary Althea Gibson. The multi-time Grand Slam winner tweeted:
“She changed my life at 13 by showing me what World No. 1 looked like. She broke the color barrier in tennis as the first Black person to win a major. She succeeded despite so much adversity. Today Althea Gibson would have turned 95. Let’s remember her always.”
Althea Gibson was a trailblazer and her legacy lives strong even now and will continue to do so forever. She is an inspiration to many current tennis players.
She won 5 Grand Slam singles titles in her career. The legendary Gibson won 5 doubles Grand Slam titles as well. Three of them came at Wimbledon in 1956, 1957, and 1958. The other Grand Slam titles she won were the 1956 French Open and the 1957 Australian Open.
She also wins the mixed doubles event in the 1957 US Open competition. So, she won 11 Grand Slam during her illustrious career.
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