Chris Evert recalls an exhibition match against Serena Williams' idol Althea Gibson, says Gibson stood out for her "humility and charisma"
Chris Evert recently heaped praise on Serena Williams' idol Althea Gibson while recalling an exhibition match she played against the former American player. According to Evert, Gibson always stood out for her "humility, charisma, and character."
Althea Gibson became the first African-American player to win a Grand Slam title when she triumphed at the French Open in 1956. Gibson had to battle racism and other prejudices during her career and served as an inspiration to generations of players, including Venus and Serena Williams.
Before Venus & Serena, there was Althea Gibson! In 1956, Gibson became the 1st African American to win the French Open. In July 1957, she won Wimbledon, then considered the world championship of tennis & received the trophy personally from Queen Elizabeth. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/LzjnhP6uge
Reacting to a post from Tennis Channel paying tribute to Gibson, Chris Evert remembered the time she faced the former World No. 1 as a teenager. Evert said Gibson had kindly offered to step in to replace an injured opponent so as to not let the fans down.
twitter.com/tennischannel/…
When I was a teenager, I reached the finals of a pro tournament, my opponent was injured so Althea offered to play me in an exhibition match for the fans. She was well past her prime, but it didn’t matter; what stood out was her humility, her charisma and her character…❤️ twitter.com/tennischannel/…
"When I was a teenager, I reached the finals of a pro tournament, my opponent was injured so Althea offered to play me in an exhibition match for the fans. She was well past her prime, but it didn’t matter; what stood out was her humility, her charisma, and her character…" tweeted Evert.
Althea Gibson would visit Sportsmen’s Tennis Club in Dorchester, MA in the late 1970s to teach the women on the tour. It was the only Black-owned club at the time.
Shown here w/Althea, L to R, are Zina Garrison, the late Andrea Buchanan, & Leslie Allen.
#FlashbackFriday #BHM https://t.co/orTkz1GsDx
"For me, she was the most important pioneer for tennis" - Serena Williams on Althea Gibson
In an interview with the WTA tour a few years ago, Serena Williams hailed Althea Gibson as the "most important pioneer" in tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam champion stressed that Gibson "opened so many doors" for the other players with her exploits on and off the court.
"For me, she was the most important pioneer for tennis. She was Black, she looked like me and she opened up so many doors," said Williams.
“Without doing what she did...there would’ve been no Arthur Ashe. There wouldn’t have been any Serena and Venus.”
Althea Gibson’s statue now stands outside of Arthur Ashe stadium. https://t.co/xwqyuCshCS
The 40-year-old even paid tribute to Gibson after she was unveiled as the cover of the Wheaties Box in 2019. Williams said she was "proud" to be the second black woman to feature on the cover of the box.
Serena Williams followed in the footsteps of Althea Gibson as the second Black woman to be featured on a Wheaties box bit.ly/2RxI93Z https://t.co/4eW5BnYcfY
“In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties box. Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honored to be the second," mentioned the former World No. 1.
Williams hasn't played a professional tennis match since Wimbledon last year.