Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Althea Gibson: The First African-American Grand Slam Champion
"Shaking hands with the Queen of England was a long way from being forced to sit in the coloured section of the bus…."
1957 belonged to Althea Gibson. At the Australian Championships, she reached the final of the singles, won the women's doubles and made the semi-finals of the mixed. At Wimbledon, not only did Gibson win the singles, but she also retained her women's doubles crown and reached the finals of the mixed. Then in September, she won the singles and mixed doubles at the US National Championships and made the final of the women's doubles.
In her whole career, Gibson competed in 18 Grand Slam finals. Eight of them were in 1957. And she didn't even play the French.
In the four decades between Gibson's Grand Slams and the emergence of the Williams sisters, very few black players came close to emulating her achievements. Venus and Serena have inspired a new generation – but they owe a huge debt of gratitude to the original pioneer.
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Baseline Tennis adds colour and context to the stories behind the game – both familiar and lesser-known.
Standing apart from the maelstrom of the 24/7 news cycle, Baseline Tennis provides informative, engaging and intelligent content on the past, present and future of the game, focusing on the stories that matter.
Our videos combine 3D imagery, motion graphics, archive footage, graphical illustrations and sound, to create rich and vivid storytelling, bringing the viewer immersive profiles of players, tournaments, key moments from history, the skills of the game and major discussion points.
It's tennis. But viewed differently.
#rolandgarros #tennis #golf
Althea Gibson: The First African-American Grand Slam Champion
"Shaking hands with the Queen of England was a long way from being forced to sit in the coloured section of the bus…."
1957 belonged to Althea Gibson. At the Australian Championships, she reached the final of the singles, won the women's doubles and made the semi-finals of the mixed. At Wimbledon, not only did Gibson win the singles, but she also retained her women's doubles crown and reached the finals of the mixed. Then in September, she won the singles and mixed doubles at the US National Championships and made the final of the women's doubles.
In her whole career, Gibson competed in 18 Grand Slam finals. Eight of them were in 1957. And she didn't even play the French.
In the four decades between Gibson's Grand Slams and the emergence of the Williams sisters, very few black players came close to emulating her achievements. Venus and Serena have inspired a new generation – but they owe a huge debt of gratitude to the original pioneer.
Subscribe: tinyurl.com/BaselineTennis | 🔔Make sure to enable all push notifications!🔔
Watch our most recent videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCj0NjN1EnBmSyGqOq--PJz8S0ReoBYPW
Watch our most popular videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCj0NjN1EnBmSyGqOq--PJz8S0ReoBYPW
Follow Baseline Media on the socials:
Website: https://www.baseline-media.com
Instagram: instagram.com/baselinemedia_
TikTok: tiktok.com/@baselinemedia_
Twitter: twitter.com/BaselineMedia_
About Baseline Tennis:
Baseline Tennis adds colour and context to the stories behind the game – both familiar and lesser-known.
Standing apart from the maelstrom of the 24/7 news cycle, Baseline Tennis provides informative, engaging and intelligent content on the past, present and future of the game, focusing on the stories that matter.
Our videos combine 3D imagery, motion graphics, archive footage, graphical illustrations and sound, to create rich and vivid storytelling, bringing the viewer immersive profiles of players, tournaments, key moments from history, the skills of the game and major discussion points.
It's tennis. But viewed differently.
#rolandgarros #tennis #golf
